Premier League Daily Report - 2026-08-28

Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park on Friday, making it two Premier League victories from two matches under new manager Enzo Maresca. Rayan Cherki scored twice in the second half after Erling Haaland had opened the scoring, while the match also featured a Gianluigi Donnarumma own goal, according to the match reports. Cherki’s first goal came after he dribbled through several Palace defenders, before he added a second from 25 yards. Haaland then completed the scoring five minutes from time, giving City a convincing result after their opening-day win over Bournemouth.

The performance offered Maresca an encouraging response after City had needed late goals to overcome Bournemouth in his first league fixture. Cherki’s influence was the clearest feature, with Jamie Redknapp describing the Frenchman as a “genius” and praising his control and audacity in the final third. City still have structural issues to address during the transition from Pep Guardiola, particularly in midfield, but consecutive wins have given Maresca an ideal start. Palace, meanwhile, were left with a second defeat of the campaign after also losing to Everton on the opening weekend.

Ipswich Town completed the signing of Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday night, according to manager Gary O’Neil. The Premier League newcomers agreed an initial fee of €22.5 million, reported as £19.2 million, with a further €5 million (£4.3 million) available in add-ons. Palacios, the 27-year-old Argentina World Cup winner, signed a contract running until summer 2030. Leverkusen are understood to retain a 10 per cent sell-on clause. The move represented a major investment from Ipswich as they prepared for Sunday’s visit to Manchester United after opening their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

O’Neil called Palacios an “incredible signing” and said the deal reflected the work done throughout the summer to attract players to Ipswich’s project. The manager also pointed to the progress of established players including Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis as part of the club’s wider development. Palacios brings top-level international and European experience to a squad beginning life back in the Premier League, while the long contract indicates Ipswich see him as a central figure beyond their immediate survival challenge. His arrival also increases competition and depth before a demanding season.

Chelsea ended their search for a new front-of-shirt sponsor by agreeing a partnership with US payments technology company Circle Internet Group. Circle’s USDC stablecoin logo was scheduled to appear on the men’s, women’s and academy shirts from Sunday’s Premier League home match against Brighton and Hove Albion. SportsPro reported that the agreement was initially for one year, with an option to extend. Financial terms were not disclosed, although the club said the arrangement would deliver new sponsorship revenue in line with its expected market rate. Chelsea had started four consecutive seasons without a principal shirt sponsor since Three’s departure.

The agreement filled a prominent commercial position just days before Chelsea’s next league fixture and ended uncertainty around the club’s matchday shirts. Chelsea were reportedly seeking a deal worth £50 million per season, but the final value was not published. The breadth of the partnership means Circle’s branding will be present across the club’s men’s, women’s and academy operations rather than only the senior team. Its short initial term also leaves room for Chelsea to review the relationship before committing to a longer commercial arrangement.

Manchester United midfielder Carlos Baleba was unlikely to play before the September international break because of an ankle problem, according to TechnoSports’ account of Michael Carrick’s Friday press briefing. Carrick reportedly described the issue as a “little ankle issue” and put the expected recovery period at “a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks”. Baleba had sustained the complaint while still at Brighton and had been limited during pre-season. United had recently completed a reported £70 million move for the Cameroon international, making the setback an immediate concern as the club prepared to host Ipswich Town on Sunday.

The timing meant Baleba was set to miss United’s early attempt to recover from their 2-0 defeat by Hull City on the opening weekend. Carrick was reported to be unwilling to rush a new signing who had arrived while managing the problem, prioritising his recovery instead. Baleba’s absence would deprive United of a high-value midfield addition during the opening weeks of the campaign, while the estimated two-to-three-week timeframe placed his return close to the international break. His progress will therefore be watched alongside United’s efforts to stabilise after a poor start.

Liverpool were reportedly closing in on a £120 million deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, according to reports cited by the Mirror and AOL. The proposed move came after Mohamed Salah’s departure and would place Barcola among the club’s most significant attacking investments. The reports presented the transfer as close but not yet confirmed, with the focus instead on how new head coach Andoni Iraola would use the France international if the agreement was completed. Barcola was described as the player expected to provide pace and attacking threat from the flank.

The prospective signing would also create a workload-management challenge for Iraola. The reports argued that Salah’s extraordinary availability had allowed Liverpool to rely on him almost every week, while Barcola would require more careful management of his minutes. That is an assessment rather than a confirmed club plan, but it highlights the adjustment Liverpool face under a new manager and with a different attacking profile. A fee of £120 million would make the deal a major statement, while its reported status means the immediate issue remains whether the transfer is completed before the window closes.