Rayan Cherki Shines as Manchester City Crush Crystal Palace 4-1

Posted : 29 August 2026

Manchester City produced an emphatic 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Friday, with Rayan Cherki delivering a standout performance after being left out of the starting XI for the club’s Premier League opener.

Manager Enzo Maresca had acknowledged that Cherki was unhappy about beginning last weekend’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the bench. The French attacking midfielder responded in the strongest possible fashion, following two assists as a substitute against Bournemouth with a brilliant starting appearance at Selhurst Park.

Cherki’s display was a reminder of the attacking quality he possesses. The 23-year-old has occasionally raised concerns with his flair and individualistic style, dating back to his first season at City under Pep Guardiola, but his ability to influence matches was impossible to overlook against Palace.

City took the lead in the 17th minute when Erling Haaland rose to meet Antoine Semenyo’s cross and directed a superb header beyond Dean Henderson. The visitors could have extended their advantage before the interval, but Phil Foden squandered two opportunities, while Cherki was also denied by Henderson.

Palace levelled shortly after half-time in unfortunate circumstances. Yeremy Pino’s free-kick struck the post before rebounding off goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the net.

The equaliser failed to disrupt City for long. Cherki restored their advantage in the 54th minute after a powerful run from Foden created the opening. The Frenchman weaved through three defenders before calmly placing his shot into the far corner.

Five minutes later, Cherki struck again. This time, he unleashed a powerful effort from outside the penalty area that flew beyond Henderson to put City firmly in control.

Haaland completed the scoring in the 84th minute, finishing from a tight angle after Foden’s pass opened up the Palace defence. It was the Norwegian’s first goal since switching his trademark long blond hair for a shorter haircut.

The result marked a much more straightforward victory for City after they had needed late goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol to overcome Bournemouth in their first league match of the post-Guardiola era.

City also offered supporters a glimpse of their future when teenage Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi made his debut after joining from Lille for a reported £86 million earlier in the week.

For Crystal Palace, the defeat was their second in succession under new manager Pierre Sage, who took charge during the summer following Oliver Glasner’s departure.

Rayan Cherki Shines as Manchester City Crush Crystal Palace 4-1

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