Manchester City have a perfect record, a wounded pride and a very good reason to bounce back. Four days after PSG beat them 4-2 at the Etihad, Enzo Maresca’s side host Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday, October 17, at 3pm Nigerian time, looking for a seventh straight league win. For the visitors, it is a chance to pull off one of the season’s biggest shocks.
Man City’s Perfect Start
City are the only team to win all six Premier League games this season, with 18 points and 16 goals. Erling Haaland alone has scored 10 goals in nine appearances across all competitions. The week has not been smooth, though. City lost to PSG in midweek despite a second-half fightback, and they are still waiting for a ruling on their appeal against the financial charges.
Ipswich Arrive Dangerous
Gary O’Neil’s side are 10th with nine points, helped by a 2-1 win over Fulham, and Maresca has warned that they are dangerous and can surprise City. But the record is leaky.
Ipswich concede an average of two league goals per game, including four inside the opening 15 minutes of matches, and they have already shipped five at Old Trafford this season. In their two meetings with City in 2024-25, they lost 10-1 on aggregate, including a 6-0 defeat in January 2025.
Team News: Foden Returns, Haaland Rests?
Phil Foden is available after serving a three-match ban, and Maresca joked that he will score. Maresca has also hinted that Haaland will need rest at some point, but most reports expect the Norwegian to start, with a break against AEK Athens on Tuesday looking more likely.
Rayan Cherki, who was taken off at half-time against PSG, may make way. The Evening Standard predicts this City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guéhi, O’Reilly; Bouaddi, Fernández; Semenyo, Foden, Ndiaye; Haaland.
What to Watch For
Three things stand out. Can City start fast, given Ipswich’s early leaks? Will Foden make an instant impact? And can Ipswich keep Haaland quiet? Ipswich have taken just 20 corners in six games, the third-lowest in the division, so City should have plenty of the ball.
Man City vs Ipswich: Key Facts
- Fixture: Man City vs Ipswich Town, Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Kickoff: 3pm (UK and Nigeria)
- Venue: Etihad Stadium
- Form: City 18 points from 18, Ipswich 10th with 9 points
- Last meeting: Ipswich 0-6 City, January 2025
What Happens Next?
City host AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday, October 20, then face Brighton on October 31.
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