There is a temptation to judge City only by margin and spectacle. That misses the point. A 1-0 home win is still a strong result when it protects a flawless opening and keeps momentum moving in one direction.
Under Enzo Maresca, this was less about noise and more about control.
The best sides do not need every week to become a statement performance. Sometimes they just need the points.
Even in tighter games, Haaland changes the equation. One finish can settle the rhythm of the match, force the opposition to open up, and give City the platform to manage the rest of the contest.
That matters in this phase of the season. Teams are still sharpening patterns, fitness and fluency. Having a striker who can decide a game before the break gives City a margin others do not have.
For Coventry, the concern is no longer small-sample noise. Three league games without a goal is a real early trend, and it leaves no room for error.
That does not mean panic, but it does mean urgency. The first goal often changes more than the table; it can change belief.
City now head into their next fixture with pace and certainty, knowing perfect starts build title pressure quickly. Coventry, meanwhile, need the next storyline to be simple: find a goal, then find a foothold in the season.