Haaland Keeps Man City Perfect as Maresca's Side Edge Coventry 1-0

Posted : 07 September 2026

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season with a narrow 1-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Erling Haaland scored the only goal as Enzo Maresca's side moved to nine points from their opening three matches.

Haaland struck in the 26th minute with a powerful header from Antoine Semenyo's cross. The move began with new signing Enzo Fernandez, who played Semenyo into space on the right before the winger delivered the decisive ball. The goal was Haaland's third of the season and the 300th club goal of his career.

Fernandez was initially expected to make his City debut from the bench after completing his £125 million move from Chelsea. However, an injury to Nico O'Reilly during the warm-up forced Maresca to change his plans, allowing the Argentine midfielder to start alongside fellow new signing Iliman Ndiaye.

City had chances to extend their advantage before and after the break. Rayan Cherki hit the post in the first half, while Haaland was denied by Carl Rushworth before the interval. A second Haaland goal was later ruled out for offside.

Coventry showed considerable fight despite having only 22 percent possession. Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni had opportunities early on, while Loum Tchaouna and Ellis Simms threatened during a late spell of pressure.

Gianluigi Donnarumma proved crucial for the hosts. The Italian goalkeeper recovered from an early error that almost allowed a backpass to roll into his own net before making important saves to preserve City's lead. He produced a particularly important stop to deny Simms from close range late in the match.

Maresca admitted that City were far from their best but praised the team's ability to withstand pressure. He stressed that some victories will require his players to fight through difficult periods rather than dominate every minute.

Frank Lampard's Coventry remain without a point or a goal after three matches since returning to the Premier League. Despite the poor start, the former England midfielder praised his players for their display and said they could take confidence from pushing City so close.

City's victory keeps them at the top of the Premier League with a maximum nine points. Their next major test comes against Manchester United, while Coventry will look to end their difficult start when they face Brighton next weekend.

Haaland Keeps Man City Perfect as Maresca's Side Edge Coventry 1-0

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