Rampant visitors give the Tractor Boys grief

Phil Foden scored twice and Erling Haaland celebrated his new contract with another goal as Manchester City crushed Ipswich this afternoon.

City looked back to their best at Portman Road, although Ipswich offered little resistance in a one-sided encounter.

Foden, who also scored a brace in the 2-2 draw at Brentford in midweek, opened the scoring and Mateo Kovacic doubled City’s lead on the half-hour mark.

Foden made it 3-0 before the break and goals from the impressive Jeremy Doku, Haaland, who signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract on Friday, and James McAtee completed the rout.

Manchester City have FIVE!

Erling Haaland gets his name on the score sheet 📋 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 size of City’s win saw them leapfrog Newcastle into fourth.

City in charge

City’s woeful pre-Christmas form now seems a distant memory, although they have left their improvement too late to challenge for the title.

Foden admitted as much in the build-up and City seemed to be playing with an element of freedom as they faced the hosts from the start.

Haaland should have opened the scoring in the 14th minute, but Christian Walton made a fine save after a superb pass from Kovacic.

Kovacic then fired over as City went in front and it was no surprise when he took the lead in the 27th minute.

Kevin De Bruyne was the architect, picking up a pass from Doku and crossing for Foden to control and fire a left-footed volley past Walton.

Kovacic added a second three minutes later, firing powerfully into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

De Bruyne shot wastefully before the Belgian set up Foden’s second in an almost carbon copy of his first, the England international driving home a cross from the left.

Phil Foden doubles his account 💥

Manchester City are running riot in East Anglia! pic.twitter.com/Bj67biie9f

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 19, 2025

The rout continued after the break

Ederson saved well from Ben Johnson in a rare Ipswich raid before City added a fourth from their next attack. Doku, whose pace and power tormented Ipswich all afternoon, cut in from the left and fired a shot that clipped the foot of Dara O’Shea as it went past Walton.

The last thing Ipswich wanted was to hand a rampant City a hand, but that’s exactly what Jack Clarke did in the 57th minute.

The winger has struggled to make an impression at Portman Road following his summer move from Sunderland and did little to endear himself to the home fans with a poor pass that was intercepted by Doku and slid in Haaland for home.

With the points in the bag, Pep Guardiola brought off De Bruyne, Haaland and Foden and one of the substitutes quickly grabbed City’s sixth, McAtee nodding in Kovacic’s delicious pass.