Broadcaster Sky Sports issued a live apology after Manchester City attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki swore during his post-match interview following a 4-1 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace.
The 23-year-old French playmaker starred at Selhurst Park by scoring twice in the second half to help City overcome a testing first period against their south London hosts.
Cherki was named Player of the Match for his match-winning display, but caused television presenter apologies when assessing his own contribution to the victory.
"My performance is so-so," Cherki said. "In the first half, we didn't find the space, and I played so s***."
"When I see Enzo (Maresca) wants to change (substitute) me, I don’t like that, and I need to show them I want to play, I want to score, I want to give an assist to Erling," Cherki added. "Because today I didn't give a lot of balls for him so next time I want to give him a lot of balls."
Second Half Goals at Selhurst Park
Manchester City had struggled to break down Crystal Palace during the opening 45 minutes before turning the contest in the second half.
Cherki opened his account by poking the ball home after demonstrating superb skill and quick feet to navigate past several Palace defenders inside the penalty area.
His second goal arrived via a long-range strike that took a slight deflection on its way into the net, sealing a decisive contribution for the visitors.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland also scored a brace in the 4-1 victory, keeping Manchester City perfect in the league under new leadership.
When pressed for his thoughts on his brilliant individual opening goal, Cherki showed humility and turned his attention to the team's long-term ambitions under new manager Enzo Maresca.
"I'm very happy for the win, see you next week," Cherki said. "Pep [Guardiola] was a big story, we will start another story. We want to prove it and we are here for that."
Maresca Praise and Off-the-Ball Work
Maresca, who took over as Manchester City manager following the departure of Pep Guardiola, disagreed with Cherki's harsh self-assessment while acknowledging a quiet opening half.
"He’s happy," Maresca said of Cherki after the final whistle. "His performance was very good, not because of the two goals but how he worked off the ball."
"He has to press. He was in charge of Wharton when Palace had the ball," the Italian manager explained, referring to Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. "His game was a complete game on and off the ball."
"He loves football. So it is much more easy to work with him. Then he is Rayan. We know how good he is, the quality he has," Maresca continued. "In this moment, he is helping the team with his assists and goals and there is no doubt he will help the team in the future."
"He was probably not playing at his level in the first half but overall I was happy with his performance off the ball," Maresca concluded. "In the second half, he scored twice and he is much more happy."
The victory at Selhurst Park gives Maresca two Premier League wins from two matches since replacing Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium helm.
Haaland Reaction and Teammate Tributes
Haaland stood alongside Cherki during the television interview and smirked as his teammate uttered the explicit word before adding his own praise for the attacker.
"It's been a short pre-season. Rayan [Cherki], five weeks ago was at the World Cup," Haaland said. "Game by game, we'll be back, we just need a few games."
"We played well, it's a new manager but we've been playing together, with the addition of a few new players, for a long time," the Norwegian international striker added. "We know what to do, and we just need to trust Enzo. This is the right step in the right direction for everyone."
City midfielder Elliot Anderson was equally complimentary when asked about Cherki's individual brilliance for the opening goal.
"I'm just sat back watching," Anderson said. "I see this every day since I've joined, him, Phil (Foden)... they've got so much talent. It's no surprise, to be honest. The talent they have is scary."
Pundit Evaluation and Transfer Window Ahead
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the former England and Liverpool midfielder, labelled Cherki a "genius" during post-match coverage.
"After Rayan Cherki painted a masterpiece - an incredible goal - City started to play and got a real hold on it," Redknapp said. "Cherki felt like the difference because his two goals came at such an important time. He just had such an amazing effect on the game and it was absolutely wonderful to see him. He is a genius, the things he can do with a football are absolute genius."
Manchester City remain active in the market as they look to add further signings before the summer transfer window closes on Tuesday.
The club returns to Premier League action next Saturday when they entertain Championship side Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium.
