Manchester City completed an impressive return to the European places by inflicting a crushing defeat on Ipswich Town, annihilating an already struggling team in a match which showcased their attacking power. Phil Foden shined brightly with a brace and an assist, while Kevin De Bruyne orchestrated the game with three key passes, and Jérémy Doku added a goal and another assist, propelling his team to a necessary 5 win -0 which ties them to Newcastle in fourth place.
Foden’s performance deserves special mention; the young prodigy is enjoying his best form of the season just when manager Pep Guardiola needed him most. City’s campaign has been marked by a rollercoaster of results, and Foden has emerged from a period of lows, breathing new life into the team’s offense as it seeks to emerge from a run of disappointing performances.
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In a scenario that has become familiar to Ipswich in their recent encounters, they found themselves overwhelmed. Foden delivered an exceptional first half, scoring two goals and setting up Mateo Kovačić for a decisive shot. This game adds to his tally, having already scored three times against Brentford and West Ham in the previous two meetings, totaling a remarkable five goals in just three games.
Foden effectively sealed the fate of the match before the break. Ipswich failed to create any real threats for Guardiola’s men, who enjoyed one of their most comfortable afternoons of the season, taking a comfortable lead in the first half.
Erling Haaland set the tone from the start with a chance perfectly saved by Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton. Unfortunately for Walton, that was the high point of his afternoon, which quickly turned into a nightmare.
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Foden opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, effortlessly converting a pass from De Bruyne on the edge of the area. Shortly after, he assisted Kovačić, whose powerful shot from outside the area doubled the lead. Just before half-time, Foden found the net again, connecting with De Bruyne for the third goal that dashed any hopes of a comeback for Ipswich.
De Bruyne, fully recovered from a serious injury, continued to dictate play after the interval. Shortly after the restart, he recorded another assist, this time from midfield to Doku, who evaded two defenders and finished confidently to make it 4-0.
Doku’s performance culminated in a final assist for Haaland, who took advantage of a defensive lapse. The Norwegian struck, making it 5-0 with over half an hour to play.
A visibly stunned Ipswich Town were hoping to limit the damage as they struggled to maintain some dignity until the end of the match. They managed to avoid further humiliation, although a 6-0 scoreline would have been entirely justified given City’s dominance.
The win marks City’s fifth consecutive Premier League unbeaten run as they move closer to the top four places—a minimum required to salvage their season, which has not gone down as a title challenge. Guardiola hopes the convincing victory will serve as a springboard to better days for the club, revitalizing their ambitions as they look to recover from previous setbacks.
