If football was played on paper, Coventry needn’t have turned up today, but thankfully for the Sky Blues it isn’t, and the opening stages showed they weren’t here to simply make up the numbers.
The visitors were almost gift-wrapped an opener inside 10 minutes when Gianluigi Donnarumma let the ball roll under his foot before frantically clearing off the line.
Another City error handed Frank Lampard’s men a gilt-edged chance to take a surprise lead, as this time a loose pass from Antoine Semenyo was pounced upon by Taiwo Awoniyi, but as he raced clear on goal, he could only fire his effort inches wide of the post.
Semenyo more than atoned for his earlier error on 26 minutes, when his dogged determination at the byline saw him get a cross off that he had no right to, and waiting in the wings was the effervescent Erling Haaland to head home a 20th goal in 21 PL games against newly-promoted opposition.
The Sky Blues didn’t capitulate from there, though, instead continuing to defend resolutely, with last-ditch blocks denying Enzo Fernandez on debut and also Haaland from doubling his tally, leaving them with a fighting chance after the break.
The Norwegian thought he had doubled his tally shortly before the hour mark when he finished off after Fernandez kept the ball alive in the area, but the Argentine had strayed offside in the build-up.
Coventry were just about managing to hang on in there despite facing incessant pressure at times, and their perseverance was very nearly rewarded. Lampard’s men almost hit City with a bolt out of the blue, when Loum Tchaouna’s instinctive strike from the edge of the area forced Donnarumma to get down low to prevent the equaliser.
City needed their stopper on several occasions today, and he came up with another big moment 10 minutes from time to deny Ellis Simms from point-blank range, taking the ball flush in the face.
Enzo Maresca’s men ultimately survived some hairy moments in the closing stages to stretch their winning start to the PL season to three matches, while Coventry are still waiting for their first point and goal of the season after what has been an underwhelming first campaign back in the top flight so far.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)