Manchester City (Man City) and Football Club (FC) Barcelona continue their winning streaks to start their respective leagues, cementing their places in the record books. Man City has won all seven of its opening English Premier League (EPL) matches, with manager Enzo Maresca setting a new EPL record for consecutive wins to start a managerial tenure. Barcelona has matched the all-time La Liga record with nine straight victories to open their campaign.
On October 17, Man City edged out Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester during the seventh round of the 2026-27 EPL season. Phil Foden opened the scoring, while Erling Haaland’s brace secured the three points, bringing their total to 21 and maintaining their perfect start.
This victory etched Maresca’s name in the history books as the first manager to win his first seven EPL matches with a single club.
The previous benchmark of six consecutive wins was held jointly by Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. For Man City, this marks their best league start since the 1897-98 season.
Haaland also reached a significant milestone, with his second goal against Ipswich marking his 100th non-penalty goal in the EPL.
He achieved this feat in just 139 appearances, the fastest in league history. With eight goals already this season, Haaland continues to be a scoring machine under Maresca’s system.
However, it’s not all smooth sailing for the Citizens.
Last month, an independent committee ruled that Man City had violated EPL financial regulations. The club has appealed the decision, with the final verdict and potential sanctions still pending.
Injury concerns have also surfaced. Despite the win against Ipswich, Haaland was seen limping off the pitch, while Matteo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly, and Antoine Semenyo are also nursing knocks.
Managing player fitness amid a congested fixture list will be crucial to maintaining their winning run.
Over in Spain, Barcelona’s form is even more impressive.
On the same day, Barca thrashed Real Betis 5-2 in a La Liga away fixture in Seville.
Lamine Yamal opened the floodgates, with Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia, and Dani Olmo also finding the net in a goal-fest.
With nine wins on the bounce, Barcelona sits atop La Liga with 27 points.
Their offensive output has been staggering, netting 39 goals in nine matches. That’s an average of 4.3 goals per game, far outpacing Man City’s 2.7 goals per game.
This victory saw Barcelona equal the record for the most consecutive wins to start a La Liga season.
The previous mark was set by Real Madrid in the 1968-69 campaign with nine straight wins. However, while Real scored 21 goals during that run, Barcelona has nearly doubled that tally with 39.
Barcelona now has their sights set on making history.
Fittingly, their next opponent is arch-rivals Real Madrid. A victory in El Clasico would see Barcelona become the first team to win their opening ten La Liga matches.
Both Barcelona and Man City share the common thread of dominating their leagues early on with potent attacking play.
Man City, propelled by Haaland’s clinical finishing and Maresca’s tactical acumen, tops the EPL. Barcelona, with its array of goalscoring threats, is rewriting La Liga records with each passing week.
Elsewhere in Europe’s top leagues, the title races are heating up.
In Italy’s Serie A, defending champions Inter Milan remain unbeaten with six wins and a draw. Bayern Munich leads the German Bundesliga with four wins and two draws, while Olympique Lyon sits atop France’s Ligue 1 with four wins, two draws, and one loss.
