Erling Haaland fires double as Man City extend perfect Premier League start

Erling Haaland's relentless scoring form propelled Manchester City to a seventh straight Premier League victory on Saturday, a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town that sent them six points clear at the summit. The Norwegian striker netted twice and was denied a hat-trick by VAR, but his match-winning contribution was overshadowed by a late injury scare that saw him limp off the Etihad pitch.

Haaland was the decisive figure in a hard-fought contest. He restored City's lead in the 34th minute after Phil Foden's opener had been quickly cancelled out by Daizen Maeda. His second goal, arriving in the 69th minute, ultimately proved the winner. The striker's brace took his seasonal tally to 12 goals and confirmed a remarkable personal milestone: he is now the fastest player in Premier League history to reach 100 non-penalty goals. A late effort was chalked off by VAR, denying him a match ball.

City's performance, set against a backdrop of playful fan protests involving inflatable bananas, demonstrated their continued on-pitch focus.

The major concern for City fans came in stoppage time when Haaland appeared to hurt his ankle in a challenge with Ipswich's Jack Clarke. He left the pitch before the final whistle and headed straight down the tunnel. After the match, Maresca moved to calm fears. "We will see," the manager said. "Erling said he was OK. I don't have any news at the moment."

Haaland was one of several fitness issues during the game, with Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Nico O'Reilly and Antoine Semenyo also picking up problems. Maresca identified Semenyo's issue as the most serious, while indicating the others, including Haaland, had reported being fine immediately after the match.

While the team excels on the pitch, immense uncertainty swirls around the club. The club has appealed, but potential sanctions being explored include a massive points deduction, relegation, or even expulsion from the league.

This has sparked widespread speculation about an alternate football reality. Analysts are asking where the club's superstars, like Haaland, might have ended up if City's spending had been constrained. The narrative poses a hypothetical scenario where the Norwegian never moved to the Etihad, perhaps joining a rival like Arsenal instead. For now, it remains a thought experiment, but it shows the high-stakes limbo the club occupies as it fights the charges while trying to maintain sporting dominance.

• Haaland scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in the 3-2 win.
• Manager Enzo Maresca stated the striker reported being "OK" after limping off injured.
• Manchester City now lead the Premier League by six points after seven consecutive wins.
• The club's appeal against 115 guilty verdicts for financial breaches continues to cast a long shadow.