MAN CITY 4, IPSWICH TOWN 1
It was a rather predictable afternoon as Erling Haaland’s seventh Premier League hat-trick helped Manchester City to an emphatic home win against Ipswich Town.
The Norwegian’s treble – his 10th for the club in all competitions – made it four already from two league games as City are already top in their quest for five titles in a row.
Haaland’s stats continue to amaze as this was his 23rd career hat-trick by the age of 24. And his seven in the Premier League in little over two years draw him level with Wayne Rooney.
Only Thierry Henry, Michael Owen, and Harry Kane (8), Robbie Fowler (9), Alan Shearer (11), and Sergio Aguero (12) have more in the Premier League as he looks set to smash many more records in the near future.
The newly-promoted Tractor Boys were making their first-ever visit to the Etihad – their last league meeting in May 2001 saw them relegate City with a 2-1 win at Portman Road.
Ipswich had also won on three of their previous four visits to City, but the two teams had not met since 2002.
When the Tractor Boys took a seventh minute lead through Sammie Szmodics, the prospect of a massive upset looked on the cards.
City’s response was devastating as they netted three goals – two from Haaland and one from Kevin de Bruyne – as they were in control of the game by the 16th minute.
They also struck the frame of the goal twice in the opening half hour as you feared for Ipswich.
Kieran McKenna’s side displayed resilience as they regrouped and did not concede again until the 88th minute when Halland had the final word.
City manager Pep Guardiola praised the Norwegian who has now scored 97 goals in 101 games for City, saying: “”He is so reliable on penalties. Assist for the second, fantastic for the third. Last season he struggled a lot, especially at the beginning. He felt tired and niggles most of the time.
“This time with the rest with no Euros he has arrived with a good vibe. The numbers are ridiculous and are like Messi.
Embed from Getty Images“The numbers for his age are incredible and we are incredibly happy to have him here and hopefully he will be here for many years.”
Of the performance, Guardiola said: “It was a good game. We started really well. With the transition they made a good goal, but we played really, really well. I am really pleased to start the season that way.
“We played a good game. Even 1-0 down, we were playing good. I would say in general they changed and were less aggressive. We were in the positions we need, and I am really pleased with the game we played in general.
“The level of performance at Stamford Bridge and today, and with our lack of preparation, it is very good.”
McKenna said the game was lost in a five-minute spell which was a “big lesson”.
He believed conceding a penalty so soon after taking the lead was pivotal.
“If we had managed to hold on for 10/15 minutes, I think we could have made it a competitive game, but 1-0 became 2-1 in a matter of seconds or minutes and changed the game completely. It is a case of game management,” he explained.
“At 3-1, the team stayed together and showed resilience, not conceding from the 16th to 88th minute so there were positives.”
McKenna was aggrieved his side wasn’t awarded a first-half penalty saying that could have enabled them to cut the deficit to 3-2 by the break.
Ilkay Gundogan was named on the City bench following his return to the club from Barcelona.
Savinho was fit enough to start for Guardiola’s side, making his home debut for the champions, but there was no Rodri or Phil Foden.
Summer signing Szmodics made his full debut for Ipswich while Liam Delap started against his former club.
Ben Johnson made his first start after coming off the bench against Liverpool last weekend while goalkeeper Arijanet Muric was fit enough to start after missing the opening defeat because of a calf injury.
And what a start it was for Szmodics who ha e Ipswich a seventh minute lead.
The former Blackburn Rovers man was released by Johnson’s through ball. Keeper Ederson managed to partially block the shot but the ball trickled over the line.
The joy was short-lived as City responded in devastating style scoring three goals in four minutes to seize control of the game.
City were level five minutes later after Ipswich conceded a penalty for Leif Davis’ needless challenge on Savinho on the right edge of the box.
Subsitute referee Sam Allison – Michael Salisbury was injured in the warm-up – did not award the spot kick but VAR sent the official to the touchline monitor and he reversed his original decision.
Haaland scored from 12 yards sending Muric the wrong way.
Muric was at fault for City’s second after being caught in possession. Savinho closed down the keeper and the ball ricocheted to De Bruyne who slotted the ball into an empty net from outside the box.
It got even worse as City quickly added a third goal as Haaland ran on to a forward pass from De Bruyne before rounding Muric on the edge of the box and firing home an angled shot into an empty net, his third goal in the opening two league games.
Ipswich were lucky not to concede five in the opening half hour as, within the space of 60 seconds, Rico Lewis and De Bruyne each saw shots crash against the crossbar.
City were forced into a change soon after the restart when Mateo Kovacic picked up a knock and was replaced by John Stones.
Haaland would have completed a hat-trick midway through the second period but for a fabulous reflex save by Muric to tip over his powerful header from six yards.
City made a double change with 19 minutes left as Savinho and Jeremy Doku made way for Gundogan and Jack Grealish.
Haaland, fittingly, had the final word completing his hat-trick in the 88th minute, rifling home a low shot from 25 yards – he rarely scores from that distance.
City made two further late changes as Haaland and de Bruyne were replaced in the 90th minute by James McAtee and Matheus Nunes.