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At Portman Road, Pep Guardiola’s squad put on a great display and overwhelmed the hosts. Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 6-0 on Sunday to move into the top four of the Premier League and send a strong statement ahead of their pivotal Champions League matchup against Paris Saint-Germain.
Although the hosts had a good start, City quickly took the lead. After being set up by Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland fired straight at goalkeeper Christian Walton, missing an early goal. Phil Foden broke the tie with a close-range strike after Kevin De Bruyne’s pass found him, but this was just a short reprieve for Ipswich.
After that, City never looked back, leading 3-0 at the half. Foden added his second goal of the day to make it five goals in his previous three league games after Kovacic scored with a beautiful strike into the bottom corner from just beyond the penalty area.
Within four minutes of the second half, Jeremy Doku’s looping shot deflected off Dara O’Shea and into the net, ending any thoughts of an Ipswich comeback. Shortly after, Doku expertly set up Haaland, who had just inked a new 10-year deal with City, to score his 17th league goal of the year.
Pep Guardiola was able to rest many of his star players for the final quarter of the match due to City’s dominance. One of his substitutes, James McAtee, made an instant impact, scoring City’s sixth goal with a well-timed header, capping off one of City’s most comfortable outings in months.
Player Ratings from Portman Road Player ratings for Man City vs. Ipswich Town
Defense Player Ratings
- Ederson (6/10): Despite spending the majority of the game as a spectator, he made a few guaranteed saves after returning to the lineup.
- Matheus Nunes (6/10): Had some challenging times at first, but he improved as a player and gained confidence in his new position.
- Manuel Akanji (6/10): Reliable at the back but seldom put to the test.
- Ruben Dias (7/10):A comforting presence in protection. stayed strong throughout the game and made several crucial early interventions to stop Ipswich from gaining the lead.
- Josko Gvardiol (7/10): He didn’t always have the best defensive game, but his efforts in possession made up for it. aided in moving City’s left wing up the field.
Midfield
- Mateo Kovacic (9/10): Controlled the middle and made excellent use of the available space. scored a wonderful goal with a crisp finish and had outstanding control. later provided McAtee with a header with a wonderful chipped ball.
- Ilkay Gundogan (7/10): Maintains the team’s momentum and links play between the lines with quiet effectiveness. won’t make news, yet he made a big impact.
- Kevin De Bruyne (9/10):formed a destructive left-flanking alliance with Doku. He recorded three assists before being replaced at the hour mark, demonstrating his enthusiasm and inventiveness.
Attack
- Phil Foden (9/10): Scored a brace in six days, appearing to be near his peak form. His confidence is obviously back, even though he hasn’t quite reached the heights of last season.
- Erling Haaland (6/10): Before being replaced, he celebrated his new contract with a goal after missing an early opportunity to defeat Walton.
- Jeremy Doku (9/10): The Belgian winger’s speed and direct dribbling were too much for Ipswich to handle. contributed a well-earned goal and assist in the second half after playing a key part in City’s first three goals.
Substitutes and Manager
- Jack Grealish (5/10): Had a hard time contributing in less than 30 minutes as a substitute.
- Divin Mubama (6/10): After taking Haaland’s place, he struggled to affect the game.
- James McAtee (7/10): made an impression by scoring City’s sixth goal with a well-timed run and header.
- Rico Lewis (6/10): Contributed to keeping midfield under control in the last 20 minutes.
- Nico O’Reilly (6/10): Considering a final stretch for City.
- Pep Guardiola (8/10): made the crucial choice to reinstate Doku in the starting lineup in spite of Savinho’s excellent play, which paid off handsomely. The team was further boosted by Ruben Dias’s comeback. Guardiola will be happy that he rested a lot of his best players before their match against PSG.
