Manchester City: seven wins from seven, but Haaland limps and the Daily Mail talks of relegation

Three days after the Parisian thrashing, Manchester City put their league run back in order: 3-2 against Ipswich on Saturday at the Etihad, with a Haaland double (34th minute, a header; 69th, low and off his left foot). Foden had opened the scoring (19th), Maeda equalised (21st), Flemming replied from the penalty spot (90th). Seven wins from seven and six points clear: Enzo Maresca becomes the first Premier League manager to win his first seven games.

Paris Saint-Germain had won 4-2 at the same stadium on Wednesday, and RMC Sport described City as completely overrun in the first half. “I didn’t expect to win seven out of seven, but we are working well”, Maresca said.

Haaland a doubt, Semenyo out: who plays up front?

Haaland hobbled off at the final whistle with a foot injury and is a doubt for Tuesday’s home game against AEK Athens in the Champions League. His stand-in is already gone: Antoine Semenyo, signed from Bournemouth last winter, damaged a knee late on, shortly after coming on for Jeremy Doku. Eight weeks out, “probably”, according to Maresca; the Guardian reports it as fact. He will miss Aston Villa on Saturday, then Brighton, Leipzig, Napoli, Arsenal, Barcelona. Kovacic, Nunes and O’Reilly are also carrying knocks; Maresca speaks of “different options”: Foden or Iliman Ndiaye, per the Guardian.

Relegation to the Championship, says the Daily Mail

The verdict came on 25 September: City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges under the Premier League’s financial rules, over fraud worth more than £900m, and the club has appealed; what remains is the sanction. The Daily Mail, in Oliver Holt’s column, reports a drastic points deduction that would seal relegation to the Championship. So Foot and Foot Mercato, relaying the piece, disagree on the appeal verdict: “before 17 January”, “the end of January”, no official date. “We must stay united. We must stay together and keep hope”, Haaland wrote in early October, according to RMC Sport.

At Villa Park, the price has not moved yet

For the bettor, everything now points to Villa Park on Saturday. City remain at their opening price for the trip: 1.76 with 1xbet as of Monday’s reading, about 55 per cent fair probability, an Aston Villa win at 4.72 and the draw at 4.26. The market has not yet priced the treatment room, and Villa, winners at Newcastle, have beaten City in the last two meetings (2-1 in May, 1-0 last October). The signal I watch: Tuesday night’s team sheet. If Haaland does not start against AEK, Saturday’s price has catching up to do.

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