It started with Manchester City supporters booing the Premier League anthem and ended with Phil Foden taking an inflatable banana into his Match of the Day interview after helping see off Ipswich to pull six points clear at the top of the table.
On a day of defiance in east Manchester, City’s fans made their feelings crystal clear in their first top-flight home game since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
Tens of thousands inside Etihad Stadium booed and jeered when the Premier League anthem was played over the speakers shortly before kick-off, then they started chanting ‘City, City, City’.
The anger did not last.
There was a chant about playing Stockport away and the gallows humour continued when City fans sang ‘You’re going down with the City’ to Ipswich’s travelling support.
City boss Enzo Maresca, who is the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven games in charge, said afterwards he felt the air of defiance from the stands even before kick-off.
“The environment was very good,” said the Italian after a game watched by 60,817, a new record crowd at Etihad Stadium.
“The fans, the club and the players are all together on this journey.”
City fans go bananas
City fans arrived at the ground to find hundreds of inflatable bananas had been placed on seats in the home sections for fans to wave throughout the game.
They were visible in the away end at Liverpool last week but this was on a different scale and the Etihad was turned into a sea of yellow.
The inflatables are a flashback to the late ’80s when what began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football.
They are enjoying a revival at a time when City have appealed after being found guilty of charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and creating ‘sham contracts’ to inflate sponsorship deals by £830m.
There were surreal scenes at one point on Saturday as fans jeered during the Premier League anthem while waving the inflatables in the air.
“You can tell they are behind us and they’re pushing us,” Phil Foden said when asked about the fans after scoring on his return to the side following suspension after being sent off against Manchester United on 13 September.
Foden’s 19th-minute opener was his first goal of 2026.
“It’s nice to play at home and you can hear how loud they are,” he added. “They’re giving us that extra boost that we need.”
‘I didn’t expect to win seven out of seven’
Taking over from Pep Guardiola – 20 trophies during 10 seasons in charge – was always going to be a big challenge for Maresca.
Seven matches in, City’s Premier League record remains flawless.
No points dropped, seven wins out of seven despite falling behind against Bournemouth and playing for more than an hour with 10 men at Manchester United.
“For sure I didn’t expect to win seven out of seven,” said Maresca. “We are working well and working good.
“I’m very happy especially with the situation in general.
“Today we controlled the game for 95 minutes. We created chances, we scored.
“We finished with a little bit of suffering together but overall, it is good.”
On Foden’s impressive return to action, Maresca added: “I said since day one that I love Phil. I know him from years ago and I know how good he is.
“It’s a matter of helping him to again be one of the best players in the Premier League.”
‘I give my players credit’
Despite the off-field turmoil, this is City’s best start to a league season in 129 years.
Only Chelsea in 2005-06 (first nine) and Liverpool in 2019-20 (first eight) have ever won the first seven matches of a Premier League campaign.
Both went on to win the title.
“First of all, I am very happy because it’s a matter of winning games in this business,” said Maresca after the game.
“We were able to win seven in a row and what made me very happy was day by day with the players, the way they are working and how I can see them improving.
“Today I thought we controlled the game, created chances and [were] good off the ball. We are doing well and I think that’s the most important thing.”
On his players dealing with the events surrounding the club off the field, Maresca said: “They are not worried about people who judge from outside because they know people are trying to judge them.
“Inside, I promise the players are happy. They’re getting credit and I give credit to them.”