Phil Foden scored twice and Erling Haaland celebrated his bumper new contract with another goal as Manchester City crushed woebegone Ipswich this afternoon.
City were at their best at Portman Road, although Ipswich offered little resistance in a one-sided encounter.
Foden, who also scored twice in the 2-2 draw at Brentford in midweek, opened the scoring and Mateo Kovacic doubled City’s advantage on the half-hour mark.
Foden made it 3-0 before half-time and goals from the impressive Jeremy Doku, Haaland, who signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract on Friday, and James McAtee completed the rout.
Manchester City have FIVE!
Erling Haaland puts his name on the scoresheet 📋 pic.twitter.com/tLqFQhHGfM
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 19, 2025
It was a sobering afternoon for Ipswich, who remain in the relegation zone after suffering their 12th defeat in 22 games since promotion. The scale of City’s victory allowed them to overtake Newcastle and move into fourth.
City at the expense
City’s dismal form before Christmas now appears to be a distant memory, although they left their progress too late to challenge for the title.
Foden admitted as much in the build-up and it looked like City were playing with an element of freedom as they turned on the hosts from the start.
Haaland should have opened the scoring after 14 minutes, but Christian Walton made a good save following a fine through ball from Kovacic.
Kovacic then fired in as City remained in the lead and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 27 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne was the architect, taking a pass from Doku and crossing for Foden to control and fire a left-footed volley past Walton.
Kovacic added a second three minutes later, firing powerfully into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
De Bruyne fired needlessly before the Belgian created Foden’s second in an almost carbon copy of his first, the England international pushing away a cross from the left.
Phil Foden doubles his total 💥
Manchester City is unleashed in East Anglia! pic.twitter.com/Bj67biie9f
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 19, 2025
The rout continued after the break
Ederson saved well from Ben Johnson in a rare foray at Ipswich before City added a fourth in their next attack. Doku, whose pace and power tormented Ipswich all afternoon, cut in from the left and fired a shot that clipped Dara O’Shea’s foot as he raced past Walton.
The last thing Ipswich wanted was to hand City a helping hand, but that’s exactly what Jack Clarke did after 57 minutes.
The winger struggled to make an impression at Portman Road following his summer move from Sunderland and he did little to endear himself to the home fans with a poor crossfield pass which was intercepted by Doku and he l ‘slipped to Haaland to return home.
With the points in his pocket, Pep Guardiola removed De Bruyne, Haaland and Foden and one of the substitutes quickly found City’s sixth, McAtee nodding in Kovacic’s delicious pass.
