Manchester City beat Ipswich Town 4-1 on Saturday to ensure their first home game of the new season was a memorable afternoon for their supporters.
Another Erling Haaland hat-trick might not live long in the memory, but the return of Ilkay Gundogan certainly will, with the German introduced in the second half just a day after re-signing for the champions.
City were already in firm control of the game by that point, with Kevin De Bruyne also on target for City on Saturday, in addition to Haaland’s goal haul.
But it was Ipswich who took a shock lead in the seventh minute when midfielder Sammy Szmodics fastened onto a well-timed pass behind the City backline and slotted through the legs of Ederson. The Brazilian keeper managed to get a touch on the ball but couldn’t prevent it from trickling over the line.
The visitors' lead didn’t last long, though. In fact, within seven minutes Ipswich trailed by two. Left-back Leif Davis committed the first of series of calamitous defensive errors when he slid in and caught Savinho in the box, resulting in a penalty being awarded following a pitchside review from referee Sam Allison.
Haaland slotted the ball home soon after, as a slightly relieved City were back on level terms. And they had the lead almost immediately as Ipswich keeper Arijanet Muric, returning to his former club, was tackled by Savinho on the edge of the area. As the Kosovan flailed on the ground, De Bruyne stroked the ball into the back of the empty net.
The Belgian then lofted a brilliantly weighted pass into the path of Haaland, who got to the ball just ahead of Muric, nodded it past him, and then calmly converted. City don’t need a helping hand when it comes to establishing leads at home, but Ipswich gifted them three in the first 16 minutes.
After the pulsating start, the pace soon settled and City controlled the flow of proceedings. De Bruyne was pulling the strings and nearly broke the crossbar with a sublime strike from distance in the 29th minute. It came less than a minute after Rico Lewis had also rattled the woodwork, when the teenager opted for power inside the box when a placed finish would have been a more advisable option.
The second period followed a similar pattern of City dominating the ball - the Blues ended the game with 77 percent of possession. There were few chances as Ipswich defended resolutely, and Muric tried to make up for his early blunders by producing a top-drawer save to keep out Haaland’s header.
But he could do nothing in the final stages as the striker swivelled on the ball and shot from distance into the bottom corner. Yet, it was Gundogan’s introduction in the 71st minute that drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon. The new season has a very familiar feel to it.
Here’s how we rated the City players...
9. Savinho- 8 (off 71)
A real threat cutting inside on the his left foot and linked well with Lewis. The Brazilian won a penalty and set up De Bruyne's goal in a blistering start. There were also plenty of silky touches from the summer signing - City might have just brought in another star.
10. Erling Haaland- 8 (off 90)
Another hat-trick for the striker, with the standout goal his third. Haaland spoke of feeling 'better than ever' last week and looked sharp at the Etihad, although he still didn't get massively involved in the build-up play.
11. Jeremy Doku- 6 (off 71)
Had some bright moments without producing anything that had a direct impact on the scoreline. Like last week, City's no.11 improved after a sluggish start and brought direct running from the left flank.
12. John Stones- 6 (on 50)
Played in midfield when he came on and looked solid without putting in a spectacular display.