Ipswich 0-6 Man City: Champions send emphatic reminder to rest of the Premier League in big victory

Evening Standard

·19 January 2025

Ipswich 0-6 Man City: Champions send emphatic reminder to rest of the Premier League in big victory

Pep Guardiola’s side extend unbeaten run with huge victory

Phil Foden scored twice and Erling Haaland celebrated his bumper new deal with a goal as Manchester City romped to their biggest Premier League win in more than two years.

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Foden, a key part of City's recent mini-revival, took his tally to five goals in his last three matches in a 6-0 thumping of relegation-threatened Ipswich.

Haaland helped himself to a goal at the end of a week in which he committed himself to the club for the best part of a decade, while Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and James McAtee were also on target as City, who kicked off in eight place, moved above Newcastle into fourth on goal difference.

It was their biggest league win since hammering Nottingham Forest by the same scoreline in August 2022 and means Pep Guardiola's side are back in the top four for the first time since December 1.

They should have gone ahead after 15 minutes when Kovacic's through-ball carved Ipswich open and sent Haaland clean through, but his shot was saved by Christian Walton.

Ipswich briefly threatened when former City youngster Liam Delap was shoved over on the left and Leif Davis took the free-kick short to Omari Hutchinson, whose shot was deflected narrowly over.

Ederson, back in the City goal after Stefan Ortega received on-pitch dressing down from Guardiola when they blew a two-goal at Brentford in midweek, then held Dara O'Shea's header from the resulting corner.

But, just as belief was starting to grow among the home fans at Portman Road, City struck and they never looked back.

At the double: Phil Foden scored a brace for Man City against Ipswich

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Doku fed Kevin De Bruyne down the Ipswich right and his cross bounced kindly for Foden, who took a touch before swivelling and firing home inside the six-yard box.

Three minutes later City doubled their lead, with Foden teeing up Kovacic to drill a low shot through a crowded penalty area into the net.

"You're going down with United," came the chant from the City end, their fans revelling in their neighbours' demise against Brighton in the early kick-off.

Suddenly City looked like scoring with every attack and De Bruyne skied one chance before squaring for Foden to roll number three underneath the dive of Walton.

The half-time whistle offered Ipswich some respite and they almost pulled a goal back after the restart when Ben Johnson's shot was kept out by Ederson.

But seconds later they were four down, with Doku cutting inside from the left and seeing his effort deflected past Walton by O'Shea.

Haaland got his goal just before the hour, with Ipswich's Jack Clarke the fall guy after his square pass went straight to Doku.

The Belgian winger slid the ball through to Haaland, who calmly slotted his 22nd goal of the season past Walton.

Haaland was promptly given the rest of the afternoon off, so substitute McAtee rounded off the scoring by heading in Kovacic's cross with 20 minutes left.

Memories of Ipswich's 9-0 humiliation by Manchester United 30 years ago must have come flooding back but, mercifully for them, City declared on six.