Manchester City just keeps winning, proving their “new normal” looks a whole lot like the old one, even with 114 guilty verdicts hanging over their heads. They’re leading the Premier League table with a six-point cushion, construction a title challenge that, honestly, the league might not want. But whatever the future holds, manager Enzo Maresca just etched his name into the history books with a record-setting start to his reign.
Maresca’s Unstoppable Roll and the Attack’s Big Night
Maresca snagged his seventh victory out of seven in the top flight, blowing past legends like Carlo Ancelotti, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and even his predecessor Pep Guardiola, all of whom were tied at six wins. “For sure I didn’t expect to win seven games out of seven,” Maresca admitted, “It’s a matter of winning games in this business.” And man, is he winning. This latest win against Ipswich featured the usual suspects. Erling Haaland delivered a second successive brace, proving he is absolutely City’s talisman, with 12 goals in his last eight appearances. Even when he hobbled off late in the game, he reassured Maresca, “He said he was okay so hopefully it is nothing serious,” the Italian relayed.
But it wasn’t just Haaland bringing the noise. Phil Foden finally broke a massive 35-game goal drought for City, bagging his first strike of 2026. This was Foden’s first appearance since that Manchester derby red card, and he slotted it home after a sweet cutback from Jeremy Doku. Even a weakened City squad found a way to win, making sure Ipswich’s fight didn didn’t net them any points.
A Club In Limbo, A Fanbase United
It’s business as usual on the pitch, but off it, City is in a strange kind of limbo. They’re appealing those 114 guilty verdicts, and some folks are already talking about “asterisks” next to their name. Yet, the atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium tells a different story. Fans were rocking inflatable bananas, some even made by former striker Imre Varadi, nicknamed “Imre Banana” back in the day. Maresca’s own kids were trying to snag some! It’s a surreal but powerful display of defiance from the fanbase.
Call it gallows humor, or just plain old fighting spirit, but fans chanted “Stockport away,” imagining a much different future fixture list. And when Jeremy Doku got fouled, the crowd chorused “same old City, always cheating.” It’s clear the damning conclusions of the independent commission haven’t dampened the spirit, at least not yet. The guilty verdicts might not have changed much in the interim, but the stakes are undoubtedly sky-high as City pushes for this title.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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