City beat Ipswich to go six clear amid bananas, boos and a record crowd

Manchester City beat Ipswich at the Etihad Stadium to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The win made it seven wins from seven. No points dropped. No slip-ups.

It happened in front of 60,817 spectators, a new record crowd at the Etihad Stadium, according to BBC. Hundreds of inflatable bananas had been placed on seats in home sections before kick-off. Fans waved them all game. Phil Foden even carried one into his Match of the Day interview afterwards.

There was defiance too. City supporters booed the Premier League anthem before kick-off. It was the club's first top-flight home game since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. City have appealed against that decision, which relates to the seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18.

On the pitch, Foden set the tone. He scored in the 19th minute. It was his first goal of 2026. He was back in the side after suspension for being sent off against Manchester United on 13 September, and he looked sharp from the start.

The numbers behind the start are historic. Seven straight league wins is City's best start to a season in 129 years. Manager Enzo Maresca is the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven games in charge. He took over from Pep Guardiola, who won 20 trophies during 10 seasons in charge.

For anyone new to this, the bananas are an old City thing. The inflatable banana tradition dates to the club's struggles in the 1980s and 1990s, when bananas celebrated promotions back up, according to Yahoo Sports. They were bouncing in the away end at Anfield last week as well, when City won 3-0 against Liverpool, according to Reuters. Maresca has embraced it. He said fans with inflatable bananas are helping City create a "nice environment" at home, according to BBC.

What makes this stand out is the noise around the football. A record crowd. A protest during the anthem. A young England star scoring again. And a new manager still winning every week while a legal appeal hangs over the club.

City now sit six clear. The appeal process will run its own course. On the field, Maresca's side keep finding a way to win.