Phil Foden scored twice and Erling Haaland celebrated his glittering new contract with another goal as Manchester City crushed a woeful Ipswich this afternoon.
City looked back on their best results at Portman Road, although Ipswich offered little resistance in a one-sided encounter.
Foden, who also grabbed a goal in the 2-2 draw with Brentford in midweek, opened the scoring and Mateo Kovacic doubled City’s lead after half an hour.
Foden made it 3-0 before half-time and goals from the impressive Jeremy Doku, Haaland, who signed on Friday for nine-and-a-half years, and James McAtee completed the rout.
Manchester City have FIVE!
Erling Haaland joins the scorers 📋 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 magnitude of City’s victory saw them leapfrog Newcastle into fourth place.
City on the load
City’s miserable run of form before Christmas now seems a distant memory although they left their improvement too late to challenge for the title.
Foden admitted as much in the build-up and City seemed to play with an element of freedom as they attacked the hosts from the start.
Haaland should have opened the scoring in the 14th minute, but Christian Walton managed to save a nice ball sent by Kovacic.
Kovačić then fired, and City remained in the lead and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 27 minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne was the architect, receiving a pass from Doku and playing for Foden to control and fire a left-footed volley past Walton.
Kovačić added the second three minutes later, powerfully firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
De Bruyne shot wastefully before the Belgian set up Foden’s second in a near carbon copy of his first, the England international nudging the ball in from the left wing.
Phil Foden doubles his tally 💥
Manchester City is making a mess in East Anglia! pic.twitter.com/Bj67biie9f
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 19, 2025
Rout continued after the break
Ederson saved well from Ben Johnson in a rare Ipswich attack before City added a fourth from their next attack. Doku, whose pace and strength had plagued Ipswich all afternoon, cut in from the left and fired in a shot that clipped the foot of Dar O’Shea on its way past Walton.
The last thing Ipswich wanted was to lend a helping hand to a rampant City, but that’s exactly what Jack Clarke did after 57 minutes.
The winger has struggled to make an impression at Portman Road since joining from Sunderland in the summer and did little to endear himself to the home fans with a poor pass from the pitch which was intercepted by Doka and pushed for Haaland to slot home.
With the points in the bag, Pep Guardiola withdrew De Bruyne, Haaland and Foden, and one of the substitutions immediately arrived for City’s sixth, McAtee nodding in Kovacic’s wonderful pass.
