Manchester City secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Friday, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both scoring twice. The win marked a significant improvement for the Citizens, who had struggled in their season opener.

Haaland opened the scoring with a header before halftime, and Cherki added a stunning solo goal early in the second half. Palace briefly threatened through Yeremy Pino's free-kick, which was credited as an own goal by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after hitting the woodwork and rebounding off him. However, Cherki restored the two-goal cushion with a deflected strike, and Haaland sealed the win with a clinical left-footed finish after a through ball from Phil Foden, who contributed two assists.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Haaland emphasized the team's progress under new manager Enzo Maresca: "It was a step up, but we will make it. It is a new manager, but most of us have been playing together. We have to trust the new manager and what he wants us to do." He also praised Foden, saying, "We have so many good players, and we have to fit everyone in. This is a step in the right direction."

Cherki, who was named Player of the Match, expressed his desire to support Haaland: "I want to show Enzo I can play balls for Haaland and help him score goals." He also reflected on his individual effort, saying, "When Haaland gave me the ball, then I did my thing."

The match also saw the debut of 17-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who joined from Lille for a reported £86 million ($116m) earlier this week, coming off the bench in the closing minutes.

For Crystal Palace, the defeat marked their second consecutive loss to start the season, following a 2-0 reverse at Everton. The Eagles will need to regroup quickly as they seek their first points of the campaign.

Source: www.aljazeera.com