Phil Foden had two goals and an assist as Manchester City clobbered Ipswich Town 6-0 on Sunday at Portman Road.
Erling Haaland celebrated his new record contract with a goal and Kevin De Bruyne recorded two assists in the blowout win, which also saw Mateo Kovacic and Jeremy Doku each record a goal and an assist while substitute James McAtee recorded his first Premier League goal.
City split their goals between halves to bounce back from a blown 2-0 lead in a draw with Brentford. Pep Guardiola’s men go fourth, above Newcastle United on tiebreakers. Both teams are 11-5-6 with the same goal differential.
Ipswich are now six goals behind 17th-place Wolves in the race to stay out of the bottom three.
Cold City stars heating up
Yes, Manchester City are addressing a group of defenders that needs improvement but here’s the bad news for opponents smelling blood in the water — City are still one of the only teams in the world who can score four or more goals with ease, and only once has a team scored five and failed to win the game (West Brom’s 5-5 draw with Man United in 2013). So if Kevin De Bruyne (two assists) and Phil Foden (two goals, one assist) are going to produce at more normal levels than their down seasons so far, you’re not beating City. No one scores six and loses. It’s never happened. And it’s pretty rare that a team scores three or four and loses. Ipswich’s defense isn’t always on the other side of the pitch, but you know what’s better for City than again becoming a world-class defense? Returning to the lethal attack that threatened to score 100 goals any given Premier League season. Don’t sleep on what’s likely to be a top-four or even higher campaign when all is said and done.
Ipswich Town vs Manchester City player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Ipswich Town vs Manchester City player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Ipswich Town vs Manchester City player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Man City go to PSG for a massive UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday before hosting Chelsea at 12:30pm ET Saturday.
Ipswich Town are off to Liverpool at 10am Saturday.
How to watch Ipswich vs Manchester City live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday
Venue: Portman Road — Ipswich
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Ipswich vs Manchester City final score: 0-6
Phil Foden 27', Mateo Kovacic 30', Phil Foden 42', Jeremy Doku 49', Erling Haaland 57', James McAtee 69'
Ipswich vs Manchester City live updates
Full time — Ipswich Town 0-6 Manchester City More subs
We missed a trio of Ipswich subs before the McAtee goal, so we’ll lump five together.
Off are Cajuste, Godfrey, Jack Clarke, Hutchinson, and Delap for Massimo Luongo, Axel Tuanzebe, new signing Jaden Philogene, Jack Taylor, and George Hirst.
Rico Lewis replaced Kovacic for City, who then move out Manuel Akanji for Nico O’Reilly.
James McAtee goal — Ipswich 0-6 Man City
Kovacic with a cute cross and McAtee loops a header over Watson for a half-dozen.
Man City subs
On come Jack Grealish, James McAtee, and Divin Mubama for Haaland, Foden, and Doku.
Erling Haaland goal — Ipswich 0-5 Man City (57h minute)
Doku turns provider off a bad giveaway by Ipswich in their own third.
Haaland’s not going to miss two of the same chance in the same game.
G’night.
Jeremy Doku goal — Ipswich 0-4 Man City (49th minute)
Another De Bruyne assist, his 118th in the Premier League, as he keys up countryman Doku for 4-0.
Halftime — Ipswich Town 0-3 Manchester City
Two goals and an assist for Foden, whose relatively quiet start to the season matching Man City’s slow beginnings make for easy logic.
Ipswich have managed five shots, but it feels a little silly to consider a comeback even in light of City’s capitulation against Brentford last time out.
Phil Foden goal — Ipswich 0-3 Man City (42nd minute)
Quite a play (or two) by Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian breaks up Ipswich possession and joins the rush led by Jeremy Doku on the left.
De Bruyne goes toward goal to cut the ball back to Foden for a simple 3-0.
Mateo Kovacic goal! Ipswich 0-2 Man City (30th minute)
A sledge hammer of low finish from Kovacic atop the arc after a short lay-off from Foden.
Phil Foden goal! Ipswich 0-1 Man City (27th minute)
Jeremy Doku’s on the left to set up Kevin De Bruyne near the end line.
The Belgian’s pass is deflected by Foden does well to settle it, turn, and snap it into the goal.
Erling Haaland denied
The new contract man is played 1v1 with Ipswich keeper Christian Walton, and he has a few touches before his hard shot is blocked by the raised left arm of Walton.
Jeremy Doku’s cross is soon collected by Walton, and City’s next charge is skied over the net by Mateo Kovacic.
0-0, 17'.
Scoreless after 10 minutes
About what you’d expect as City are living with the ball and Ipswich produced one nice counter attack through Liam Delap that led to a blocked shot and collected cross.
0-0, 12'.
Ipswich Town lineup
Walton, Johnson, Godfrey, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, J. Clarke, Delap
Man City lineup
Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Ipswich vs Manchester City preview
Ipswich Town saw a two-game run of collecting points end at home to Brighton at midweek, as the Seagulls kept ex-City forward Liam Delap and the Tractor Boys off the score sheet.
City tossed aside a two-goal lead to Brentford at midweek, ending their bid to win three-straight. Unbeaten in four, City need to get all three points before the UEFA Champions League serves as a tough appetizer to a gauntlet of a five match-run in the Premier League: home to Chelsea, away to Arsenal, home to Newcastle and Liverpool, then off to Spurs.
Ipswich Town team news, focus
OUT: Kalvin Phillips (loan - unable to face parent club), Sammi Szmodics (ankle), Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Chiedozie Ogbene (achilles - out for season), Conor Chaplin (knee)
Manchester City team news, focus
OUT: Rodri (torn ACL - MORE), Ruben Dias (muscular), Oscar Bobb (lower leg) | QUESTIONABLE: John Stones (foot)
Ipswich Town vs Manchester City prediction
Here’s another wild stat given City’s status as a dynasty: just one clean sheet from the Citizens since December 4. But Erling Haaland will be hitting the pitch after signing what amounts to nine-and-a-half seasons at the Etihad and it seems like he’ll be the type to deliver on the news. Ipswich Town 1-4 Man City.
