Manchester City fight back to win Super Cup on penalties

Manchester City beat Sevilla on penalties in Athens as they claimed their first silverware of the season - after Cole Palmer stole the show.

Pep Guardiola's Treble winners took on Europa League victors Sevilla in Athens and had to contend with blistering heat just five days after they started the new Premier League season with a win over Burnley.

Sevilla were happy to play on the counter-attack and went ahead through Youssef En-Nesyri's powerful header before half-time - with youngster Palmer coming to their rescue with a fine header of his own in the second period

City managed to build on that equaliser before claiming victory on penalties - marking their first trophy of the season after their Community Shield defeat against Arsenal at Wembley.

City were huge favourites to win the contest as Champions League winners but were without Kevin De Bruyne following his long-term injury blow.

Bernardo Silva was also absent due to illness, with Erling Haaland having minimal involvement and youngster Palmer their only real spark in the heat of Greece.

Palmer has been linked with a loan exit before the transfer deadline with City keen on West Ham's Lucas Paqueta - but the breakthrough star who joined their youth academy in 2010 has given his manager a real dilemma since winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with England.

City will now have to regroup before their Premier League return, taking on Eddie Howe's Newcastle on Saturday evening at the Etihad as they look to make it two wins from their opening domestic fixtures.

Cole Palmer levelled things up for Man City the second-half (Image: Getty Images)

COLE PALMER!! 🤩

The Man City youngster comes up with a huge goal for the Cityzens to equalise in the #SuperCup! ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/HnM9VDc5lg

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 16, 2023

 Shoot-out strikes from Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker were enough as Nemanja Gudelj missed Sevilla's fifth - with the Spanish outfit failing to build on their penalty win against Roma in May.

The game finished past midnight local time but City fans were in fine voice as players wildly celebrated following their triumph, with Freed from Desire blasted out around the Karaiskakis Stadium.

Palmer spoke to TNT Sports after the match, saying that he even gave Haaland an instruction before nodding home the vital equaliser: "Yeah I think I just said my name and he ducked."

Man City won 5-4 on penalties with a perfect return (Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

When asked if he was playing at his best, he added: "No not yet, as Kyle said it's early in the season and I just have to kick on from here."

Walker had said: "This guy is incredible and he’s got good players to learn off and the best manager in the world.

"He needs to keep going, keep his feet on the floor like he has been and keep scoring goals. If he keeps improving he’ll be fine.

Manchester City won the fixture for the first time (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)

He then joked: "He just need to keep his feet on the ground and keep listening to me behind him."

Palmer replied: "Yeah of course (I listen to him) I sit next to him in the changing room as well."

The 21-year-old also became only the second player to ever score in the final of both the Community Shield and Super Cup in the same season after Michael Owen for Liverpool back in 2001.