Erling Haaland netted a hat-trick as Manchester City demonstrated the challenges of Premier League life with a commanding win over Ipswich at the Etihad Stadium.
Returning to the top flight after 22 years, Ipswich enjoyed a brief moment of success when Sammie Szmodics scored on his debut, slipping a shot past Ederson within seven minutes.
However, Manchester City quickly asserted their dominance, responding with three goals in a span of four minutes. Haaland first leveled the score with a penalty, awarded after a VAR review overturned an initial decision by referee Sam Allison, who had judged Savinho’s fall as a dive.
Kevin de Bruyne then took advantage of a mistake by Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric to score, and Haaland extended the lead to 3-1 shortly after, finishing a chance after rounding Muric.
City could have added more, hitting the woodwork twice, and Ipswich had a penalty claim turned down when Leif Davis was seemingly fouled by Savinho in the box.
In the second half, the crowd erupted as Ilkay Gundogan made his return to Manchester City from Barcelona on a one-year deal. Despite Ipswich’s efforts to limit City to three goals, Haaland completed his hat-trick with a late long-range strike.
Manchester City’s victory ensures they maintain a perfect record from their first two games, while Ipswich, having also faced Liverpool in their opener, are still searching for their first points of the season.
Haaland hungry as City look strong
Manchester City’s performance against the newly promoted side was characteristically dominant, as they maintained control from the opening whistle to the final whistle.
Despite conceding from Ipswich’s first shot on target, Pep Guardiola’s team remained poised, quickly responding with three rapid goals to dampen the excitement sparked by Szmodics’ early goal for the visitors.
Before the match, Manchester City proudly displayed the Premier League trophy and celebrated their historic achievement of winning four consecutive titles with a banner. Their quest for a fifth title has begun strongly, with routine victories over Chelsea and Ipswich.
Adding to the concern for their title challengers is Erling Haaland’s impressive form. The Norwegian striker, who won the Golden Boot in the last two seasons, enjoyed a summer break while many teammates participated in international tournaments. He was a constant threat to the Ipswich defense and has already scored four goals in two games, including his first hat-trick of the season.
Tough day for Ipswich, but one of learning
Even the most hopeful Ipswich fans likely recognized that their team faced a tough challenge at Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City had been unbeaten in their last 44 matches across all competitions.
The focus for Ipswich was on gaining experience from the match and reflecting on both the positives and areas for improvement.
Sammie Szmodics, last season’s Championship top scorer with 27 goals, offered a glimpse of his potential value to Ipswich’s survival efforts by scoring just seven minutes into his full debut.
However, Ipswich will need to enhance their focus, having conceded three goals in just four minutes, which dashed any hopes of an upset.
Defensively, they were more resolute in the second half, but their season truly begins with their next match, where they will look to secure their first three points against Fulham at home.