[ad_1]
Seeking an immediate Premier League response on Sunday evening, Manchester City stormed their way to a sensational 6-0 romp away at Ipswich.
While Pep Guardiola’s men might have suffered a last-gasp collapse away at Brentford earlier in the week, City didn’t show any signs of a hangover in Norfolk.
With the red-hot Phil Foden opening the scoring midway through the first-half, the floodgates quickly opened as Sunday’s guests stormed their way back into the Champions League spots.
City added another just three minutes later through Mateo Kovacic’s crisp strike from the edge of the box, with Foden providing the assist, before he grabbed a third two minutes before the break.
Fresh from putting pen to paper on a new nine-and-a-half-year deal in midweek, Erling Haaland notched a 17th Premier League strike of the season just before the hour mark.
There was still time for substitute James McAtee to get on the scoresheet thanks to a wonder looping header from Kovacic’s smart cross.
As for Ipswich, dropping back into the relegation zone, the Tractor Boys have also continued to show some glaring defensive issues.
On an evening when Manchester City shored up their spot in the top-four chase, we have taken a look at the key talking points from Portman Road.
City find a route back into the Champions League spots
While Manchester City might have suffered another late collapse away at Brentford on Tuesday night as they eventually had to settle for a 2-2 stalemate, the Sky Blues travelled to Norfolk seeking an immediate response.
Extending on their FA Cup adventure on January 11th as they stormed their way to an 8-0 romp against League Two outfit Salford, Sunday’s guests were at their clinical best here.
Avoiding what could have been a potential banana skin at Portman Road, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in each of their previous five appearances across all competitions and are enjoying their longest unbeaten run since the end of October.
Getting the New Year underway with a 4-1 victory against West Ham, Man City have also embarked on a major free-scoring flurry in the final third.
Signing off 2024 with a 2-0 win away at relegation scrappers Leicester, the Sky Blues have recorded 22 goals on their recent five-match unbeaten run.
Ipswich have a real uphill battle on their hands
While Ipswich might have signed off 2024 with a famous 2-0 victory against Chelsea, Kieran McKenna’s men have failed to use that performance as a platform to build on.
Putting in a toothless display earlier in the week as they suffered a 2-0 loss at the hands of Brighton, the one-time Manchester United coach was always bracing himself for another stern examination here.
Dropping back into the relegation zone and completely blown away on Sunday evening, Ipswich have also continued to gain an unwanted reputation for their glaring struggles on home soil.
Watching their goal difference take a huge dent here and now holding the fourth-worst defensive tally, Sunday’s hosts have lost five of their previous six Premier League showdowns in Norfolk.
With their morale likely to have taken a potential dent here, things don’t get any easier for Ipswich as they travel to runway leaders Liverpool next weekend.
Foden extends on his recent flurry
While the record-breaking Haaland might have now found the net in each of his previous four Premier League appearances, it was Foden who once again stole all of the headlines here.
With the defending champions appearing to have turned a much-needed corner over the past month, a huge part of their recent success has come thanks to their superstar academy graduate.
Bagging yet another Premier League brace on Sunday evening, the England international is certainly firing on all cylinders since opening up the New Year.
Including another two goals against Brentford earlier in the week, Foden has now scored five goals in just his last three Premier League showdowns.
Now sat only behind Haaland in City’s goalscoring charts this season and enjoying his most fruitful spell of the campaign, Foden clearly has a leading role to play over the second-half of the season.
Match Report
Ipswich: Walton, Johnson, Godfrey, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Clarke, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Delap
Subs: Tuanzebe, Philogene, Luongo, Hirst, Taylor
Manchester City: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Gundogan, Kovacic, Foden, De Bruyne, Doku, Haaland
Subs: O’Reilly, Lewis, Grealish, McAtee, Mubama
Goals: Foden (27’, 42’), Kovacic (30’), Doku (49’), Haaland (57’), McAtee (69’)
Yellow Cards: Nunes
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Sam Barrott
[ad_2]
Source link
