In a dominant display, Erling Haaland scored three times propelling Manchester City to a 4-1 victory over newly promoted Ipswich. The crowd welcomed Ilkay Gündogan in his first match back, marking an emphatic victory. The outcome was predominantly anticipated as Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, are known for their superiority in the Premier League.
However, it was visiting team Ipswich who initially sent shockwaves through Etihad Stadium. Striker Sammie Szmodics, brought immense joy to the travelling fans with Ipswich’s first top-tier goal in more than 8100 days. Despite this, the defending champions Manchester City were undeterred. Fueled by the early goal, Haaland took control of the game, scoring twice while Kevin De Bruyne also found the net.
These three goals occurred before the 16th minute, with a interval of 193 seconds between them, and former City goalkeeper Aro Muric made unintended assists by making slip-ups in his first game for Ipswich. The Norwegian superstar, Haaland, capped off his tenth hat-trick for City towards the end of the second half, as Gündogan basked in the adulation of his fan base.
Having returned to the club from Barcelona on Friday after a one year stint, the player who clinched the treble in a previous season was honoured before and after his second debut. The victory was a fitting end to a day for City who had started on a low note but nonetheless showcased their Premier League, Club World Cup, and Community Shield trophies as they commemorated their fourth consecutive league championship.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Everton 4-0, with goals by Son Heung-min and Yves Bissouma. Bissouma managed to make his way back into the good graces of manager Ange Postecoglou, after falling foul of club discipline and serving a one-game suspension. Son’s double and Bissouma’s opener ensured the victory for Tottenham.
The international from Mali, being reinstated to the first team, rewarded Celtic manager Postecoglou’s trust immediately with a remarkable goal from 20 yards out, marking his first score for Tottenham in his 57th game for the club. In celebration, he expressed remorse before rushing to embrace his boss at the sidelines. Subsequently, Jordan Pickford tarnished his performance with a terrible mistake that allowed Son to double the Spurs lead. Cristian Romero added another goal, and Son scored once more towards the end, leaving Everton on the brink of disaster with only two matches into the season.
On another note, West Ham United defeated Crystal Palace in a 2-0 fashion, securing their inaugural Premier League victory of the season. This happened at Selhurst Park, with Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen netting goals in the second half. Following a lacklustre initial half, Soucek ended the stalemate in the 67th Minute, capitalising on a routine late box run and Palace’s unsuccessful clearance to score. After a mere five minutes, Hammers leader Bowen followed suit, controlling Max Kilman’s magnificent cross-field pass before using his preferred left foot to send a stunning shot to the back of the net.
At Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Emile Smith Rowe netted a goal on his home premiere, guiding the club to a 2-1 victory over Leicester City. Smith Rowe secured his first Premier League goal with the Cottagers at the 18th minute. Even though Leicester’s Wout Faes levelled the scores with a heading goal, Fulham bounced back from their previous week’s loss to Manchester United. A winning strike from Alex Iwobi allowed them to secure their season’s initial three points. Southampton concluded with a score of 1 against Nottingham Forest, with the only goal from Gibbs-White at the 70-minute mark.
In their first home match since their Premier League comeback, Southampton suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, with the game’s only goal struck by Morgan Gibbs-White 20 minutes from the finish during a match that will not be remembered fondly at St Mary’s. The skipper of The Forest managed to score following the home side’s inability to handle a corner, giving Nuno Espirito Santo’s team their inaugural victory for the season, and leaving the Saints yet to secure a point, two games in.
Russell Martin’s team displayed a weak offensive performance, managing just a single target shot and demonstrated a considerable lack of drive. What started as an upbeat mood prior to kick-off on the south coast rapidly transformed into noticeable disappointment amongst the local supporters, with some even resorting to voicing their displeasure at their own team as the game concluded.