There have been few winners in Manchester City’s guilty verdict, except highly paid lawyers and the inflatable fruit industry. The fans have suffered, being forced to question everything they have been told, while being labelled “cheats” but they were able to forget the cacophony of noise around the club as Enzo Maresca became the first manager in history to win his first seven games in charge of a team.
Ipswich were the latest victims but they put up a fight in City’s first home Premier League game since being found to have breached financial rules. Defiance has fortified the majority of the City fanbase, who were able to see local boy Phil Foden instigate the triumph with a kiss of the badge, before an emblem of their wealth, Erling Haaland, secured the points to move six clear of the nearest challengers with a clinical double, albeit with a few scares between.
If City have felt like it’s been their backs against the wall for the past few weeks, it was Ipswich’s turn on Saturday afternoon. Gary O’Neil put 11 men behind the ball whenever the hosts ventured over the halfway line as City enjoyed 90% possession in the opening quarter hour but without truly threatening as they struggled to find space amid the lowest of blocks, expertly organised and fully disciplined. Maresca had made six changes to refresh the side and it took time to understand one another’s rhythm, with Ayyoub Bouaddi the one creating it from defensive midfield in another mature performance from the teenager.
Rúben Dias was the first to provide a distraction from the banana waving and gallows humour chants when he thrashed a shot from 30 yards towards the top corner, only for Christian Walton to palm clear. It was inevitable what was coming as there was irrefutable evidence that City were dominant. Like at Anfield, Jérémy Doku was a key instigator, showing mesmeric skill on the left of the box before finding Mancunian Foden to sweep home for his first goal since mid-December.
There was an element of pantomime around the ground from the booing of the Premier League anthem, the singalongs and inflatables. It was fitting that Marc Guéhi did not know that Daizen Maeda was behind him, allowing the Ipswich man to latch onto a sublime curved through ball from Abdoul Ouattara and slot in an equaliser two minutes after the opener.
With the home fans deflated, the match reverted to the attack v defence training scenarios, with City pondering how to get the previously anonymous Haaland into the game, with banana inspiration Imre Varadi watching from the stands. Foden, buoyed by his goal, showed skill and precision with neat footwork and a pass for the Norwegian who flashed a shot from inside the box, which was deflected over.
An optimistic metaphor for the club, Haaland showed that it is possible to get a better result second time around, making the most of Mateo Kovacic becoming an auxiliary winger. The header lacked power but Walton could not keep it out, palming the ball from one hand to the other and into the net before Haaland was serenaded with the clap of bananas.
Ipswich came out after the break with greater ambition, eager to show they had thrust to add to solidity. They produced fine interplay and should have levelled when Gianluigi Donnarumma completely misjudged a corner but was relieved to see Emersonn head against the back of a City defender with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen.
City found themselves stuck in a lull, unable to prise open Ipswich, instead having to bide their time with sideways passing. It was a test of patience, one Haaland eventually claimed victory when a sweeping move upfield concluded with a precision pass from Iliman Ndiaye and an aggressive finish from the No 9, who was later denied a hat-trick by the VAR.
The video assistants became busy late on, calling Farai Hallam over to review footage of Guéhi taking out Abdul Fatawu in the box, and Zian Flemming did the rest in the 90th minute. City were left to complain about a Premier League official’s decision when 12 minutes was added on, with few knowing why, but this one concluded with a result that will not be questioned.
