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City Flying High: Five Wins From Five as Haaland Fires and Barcelona Rumours Swirl

📅 September 25, 2026 · By Liberia Sports Live · AI-assisted match report · 👁 6

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It has been a remarkable start to the 2026-27 season for Enzo Maresca's Manchester City. The Sky Blues rounded off a busy September before the international break in style, putting five goals past Sunderland at the Etihad in a 5-3 thriller on 20 September — the highest-scoring match of the Premier League season so far. That followed a commanding 5-0 home victory over Norwich City in the EFL Cup on 17 September, and a famous 1-0 derby win at Old Trafford on 13 September that saw City silence 74,000 fans in Manchester United's own backyard. Earlier in the month, Erling Haaland's powerful header secured a tight 1-0 win over Coventry on 5 September — a result that made it nine points from nine to open the league campaign. City now boast the longest winning run in the division at five matches and lead the Premier League table.

Haaland the Talisman

The Norwegian striker continues to be the heartbeat of Maresca's attack. Haaland scored his 300th career goal with a header against Coventry and is the division's top scorer with five Premier League goals this term. He has now bagged an astonishing 168 goals in 204 appearances for the club since joining in 2022. New signing Enzo Fernández, who arrived from Chelsea for a British-record-equalling £125 million on Deadline Day, made his debut from the bench against Coventry and will be pushing for a regular starting berth when club football resumes after the international break.

Injury Update

City's main injury concern heading into October is winger Jérémy Doku, who has been sidelined since suffering a calf problem in the Community Shield defeat against Arsenal in August. Maresca initially expected the Belgian to be out for two to three weeks, but his return has not yet been confirmed by the club. Matheus Nunes also had a stop-start beginning to the season with a muscle issue but appears to be working his way back to full fitness. The good news for City is that Maresca has been able to call on a large, healthy squad for the most part, giving him plenty of options across a demanding schedule.

Transfer Talk

(Rumour) The biggest talking point off the pitch is the future of Erling Haaland. Spanish outlet El Nacional has claimed the striker is keen on a move to Barcelona, fuelled by suggestions that his long-term ambition is to play in Spain. Reports even put a figure of €175 million on a potential release clause that could become active. However, more reliable sources paint a different picture: Football Insider reports that Haaland is happy at City and that the club is in a strong position regarding his future, with rumours of any clause being activated next summer firmly dismissed. ESPN's Transfer Talk column also noted this week that Haaland remains contracted to City for another eight years, making any near-term departure highly unlikely. For now, City fans should take the Barcelona noise as speculative noise rather than a genuine threat.

What's Next

With the international break now over, City return to Premier League action and will also begin their UEFA Champions League league phase. Maresca's men have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, AEK Athens, Napoli, and Sporting CP at home, with away fixtures against Porto, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, and Lens — a mouth-watering European campaign that kicks off imminently. The Sky Blues will be eager to carry their domestic momentum into the continent.

Sources

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