Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 3-2 to continue its unbeaten streak to begin the 2026/27 season. The match wasn't necessarily beautiful, and a couple of potential injuries might have marred the outcome.
One of those was to Erling Haaland, and more on that in what follows. The other was to Antoine Semenyo, who was a shell of himself at the end of the match, clearly not able to run well. City had 11 players on the pitch in the last part, but really only 10 because Semenyo couldn't do much.
The best part of the match was clearly the victory. The worst part was what might happen next. If Haaland and Semenyo have to miss much time, the narrative of the season could change drastically.
Winners and one loser from Manchester City's victory against Ipswich Town
Winner: Enzo Maresca
Not even Pep Guardiola had won his first seven Premier League matches to begin a season, but Maresca has. The last time the club had begun league play with as many as seven consecutive victories was in 1897. No other manager in league history had begun their stint at a club with so many consecutive wins.
Following any legend is difficult, but Maresca has obviously done as well as anyone could have so far. City likely won't remain perfect, but he's in control of a club facing long-lasting consequences for breaking Premier League rules, and Maresca has gotten his players to buy into a club-centric mindset.
Winner: Phil Foden
Foden hadn't scored since December 2025 and had to sit out recent matches after getting a red card for violent conduct against Manchester United in September, but he managed a goal in the 19th minute and celebrated as if he had never scored before. Should he return to his form from a couple of seasons ago, City might actually be unbeatable in league play.
Winner: Erling Haaland
To no one's surprise, Haaland scored another goal and then another. He now has at least one in eight straight league matches dating back to last season. His eight goals this season unsurprisingly lead the league. He almost had another, but Enzo Fernandez was ruled offside.
He didn't have a perfect game, giving Ipswich a short-lived opportunity in the second half on a bad cross, but he remains the best striker in the Premier League, and arguably the world.
The clear concern is near the end of the match, Haaland appears to have hurt his foot or leg and was limping off the pitch. The injury will be needed to watch for updates.
Loser: Marc Guehi
Guehi has four inches and 30 pounds on Ipswich Town's Daizen Maeda, and that should be noted because two minutes after Foden scored his goal in the first half, Guehi and Maeda battled for a ball increasingly close to City's goal, but the Ipswich player was quicker and better-balanced, won the ball, and then scored a goal. Guehi should never have let that happen.
Late in the second half, Guehi got himself out of position trying to keep Ipswich's Abdul Fatawu from moving forward in the box, and a penalty kick was given. Zian Femming then scored on the penalty and Ipswich cut the lead to 3-2 in the 90th minute.
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