Manchester City will aim to continue their perfect start to the Premier League season when they take on newly promoted Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium.

Rayan Cherki put on a show in the second half of Manchester City’s impressive win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Erling Haaland’s goal separated the two teams at half-time, but the French attacking midfielder eventually scored twice and was named the man of the match.

The win gave Manchester City a perfect start to their Premier League campaign, following their opening-weekend victory over Bournemouth. They now return to the Etihad to face newly promoted Coventry City, as Enzo Maresca aims to continue collecting wins and build momentum at the top of the table. City will enter the weekend at the summit, albeit only because of their superior goal difference.

Manchester City also enjoyed a stellar end to the transfer window, adding Enzo Fernández and Iliman Ndiaye to bolster their midfield and attack. With Maresca’s side looking strong at the start of the season, they will come into the weekend as favourites to win again and retain their position at the top of the table.

Meanwhile, Coventry City have not made the best start, with Frank Lampard’s side losing both of their opening matches. First, they faced a difficult trip to reigning champions Arsenal, losing 3–0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Last weekend, they had a great opportunity to put things right when they faced fellow newly promoted side Hull City at home. The visitors arrived in confident mood following an impressive 2–0 victory over Manchester United on the opening day, and Coventry and Hull played out a tough, cagey encounter.

A late goal from Liam Millar proved decisive for Hull City, separating the two teams and handing Coventry another defeat. While Lampard will hope for a major turnaround at the third time of asking, his side face the daunting prospect of taking on Manchester City away from home. Even a point would be regarded as a massive result.

Team News and Tactics

Manchester City

Maresca remains without key attacker Jérémy Doku for this game, while Matheus Nunes is also a major doubt. As a result, Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to continue at right-back, while Maresca is likely to retain the same back four that started against Palace.

The manager may be tempted to hand record signing Fernández his full debut, although the Argentine could instead come off the bench in the second half. Therefore, Maresca could continue with a midfield partnership of Elliot Anderson and Nico O’Reilly.

Overall, the Manchester City boss is not expected to make any changes to the lineup that started against Palace. Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo should start on either wing, while Cherki will continue to pull the strings in the attacking midfield role. Erling Haaland, who opened his account for the season with a brace last weekend, will lead the line against Coventry City.

Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol; Anderson, O’Reilly; Foden, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland

Coventry City

Lampard will once again have to cope without key attacker Haji Wright, who remains sidelined for an extended period. Frank Onyeka and Sidiki Cherif are also major doubts after missing the match against Hull City, with their availability dependent on late assessments before kick-off.

There is another concern over Bobby Thomas, who was taken off in the previous match with a cramp. Although he will also be assessed, the defender should be fit enough to take his place in the matchday squad, either from the start or on the bench.

Lampard is expected to persist with a 4-3-3 formation, with Bobby Thomas and Aurèle Amenda in central defence. Matt Grimes will sit at the base of midfield, with Jack Rudoni and Caleb Yirenkyi on either side. Taiwo Awoniyi will lead the line, with Loum Tchaouna and Ephron Mason-Clark operating in the wide areas.

Probable lineup (4-3-3): Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva; Rudoni, Grimes, Yirenkyi; Tchaouna, Awoniyi, Mason-Clark

Key Stats

• Erling Haaland has scored 19 goals in 20 top-flight appearances against newly promoted opposition.
• Manchester City are on a 30-match unbeaten run against newly-promoted sides, consisting of 27 wins and three draws, dating back to April 2021.
• Coventry are surprisingly unbeaten in their last eight top-flight meetings with Manchester City.
• Frank Lampard has seen his teams fail to keep a clean sheet in 18 consecutive Premier League matches, conceding 37 goals during that period.

Player to Watch

Rayan Cherki

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Cherki’s impact and importance have been clear for Maresca to see, following a game-changing cameo in the opening match and a starring performance in the second. The Frenchman is showing why he could become a key figure in this Manchester City setup, and the weekend’s game against Coventry offers another opportunity to strengthen that reputation.

He could pose a major threat to Coventry, with some arguing that he could be even more dangerous than a certain Haaland. Cherki’s creativity and ability to unlock defences will serve Maresca well as he looks to challenge for the title. Saturday’s game will provide another chance to watch the attacking midfielder closely.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-0 Coventry City

Coventry City are expected to struggle at the home of another side considered a title challenger as the season progresses. As they did against Arsenal, Lampard’s men could struggle to make an impact in this clash, although they will hope to finish the game with a respectable scoreline.

Manchester City are finding their rhythm under Maresca, and this could be another impressive display from the team. Last season’s runners-up also have an excellent record against newly promoted sides in recent years, and that run could continue this weekend, with City expected to win comfortably and keep a clean sheet in the process.