Cherki scored twice in five minutes, and Palace’s only goal of the season came off Donnarumma
Rayan Cherki’s two goals in five minutes settled a match City were never likely to lose, and Enzo Maresca has now taken six points from six.
Aug 29, 2026
Two rounds into the Premier League season, Crystal Palace have scored one goal. Gianluigi Donnarumma scored it. City’s goalkeeper turned Yeremy Pino’s free kick into his own net in the 56th minute at Selhurst Park on Friday night, and that remains the only time the ball has crossed a line in Palace’s favour since August began.
Five minutes that finished it
The own goal was not even the story of its own passage of play. Rayan Cherki had put City 2-0 up in the 54th minute. Donnarumma’s own goal came two minutes later and got Selhurst Park up on its feet. Three minutes after that, Cherki found the bottom corner again, and the noise stopped.
Erling Haaland had opened the scoring with a header in the 17th minute and added a fourth in the 84th. Two goals each for the pair of them, and City are two wins from two under Enzo Maresca, who changed one player from the side that beat Bournemouth in the opening round. That change was Cherki, in for Rico Lewis.
Pierre Sage is still waiting
This was Pierre Sage’s first home league match as Palace manager, and it went the way the first one did. He took over from Oliver Glasner, who left having won the FA Cup and the Conference League, and he now has two defeats, no points and no goals of Palace’s own making.
The opening weekend brought a 2-0 loss at Everton in which Palace did plenty right and could not finish any of it. Friday was different. City were better in every phase and did not need to be at their best for long. Palace sit 20th. City sit first.
Cherki has arrived
Cherki was the one everyone wanted to talk about afterwards. City paid Lyon an initial 36.5 million euros for him in June 2025, and on Friday he spent the second half finding pockets of space Palace could not close.
Maresca’s verdict: “I think his game was a complete game, on the ball and off the ball.” Cherki’s verdict on Cherki, given to Sky Sports minutes later: “My performance is so-so. In the first half, we didn’t find the space, I played bad.” He then scored twice in the second half and won the game. Some players are harder on themselves than the scoreline warrants.
Palace go to Fulham next. On current form, Sage would take a goal scored by one of his own players.