Pre match news
Mark Hughes names a first unchanged team for the important Barclays Premier League visit of Portsmouth. It gives the City faithful the second chance to see Robinho and Jo in action for the Blues.
For Pompey, David James and Sylvain Distin make their returns to the City of Manchester Stadium.
The match
City kicked off with the press box still abuzz following the news that the takeover of the Club had been agreed between Thaksin Shinawatra and Sheikh Mansour with the deal to be completed on Tuesday. Indeed both wealthy investors were watching on in the stands.
On the pitch City almost took the lead after three minutes with a move made in Brazil. Elano’s pass found Garrido who slid the ball infield to Jo and a cheeky back flick found Robinho on the edge of the box.
The former Real Madrid man found himself with space and time to shoot, and with James scrambling, the former City man turned the ball behind for the game’s first corner.
In the 11th minute Elano played it to Robinho who fed Wright-Phillips and despite being under pressure the diminutive winger got a shot off which James turned over thanks to his quick reactions for another set-piece.
But City didn’t have to wait too much longer for the opener...two minutes precisely. As Robinho played a lovely throughball to Jo and in trademark fashion (as City fans know all too well) James came racing out of his goal which gave the Brazilian striker no option but to shimmy past the keeper and finish well from a difficult angle.
And after 20 minutes it got even better for City as they made it 2-0.
Elano’s low corner from the left bamboozled the player standing on the post, the ball then hit the post and rebounded about five-yards out, where Richard Dunne threw himself in for the ball and looked to have got the final touch as it crossed the line.
It was a great present for the defender who was celebrating his 29th birthday.
On 28 minutes Portsmouth should have reduced the arrears. Glen Johnson did well down the Pompey right and has great low cross was met well by Peter Crouch but his snap-shot flew wide of Hart left-hand post.
The game quietened down a little after the early goal activity, but on 39 minutes Robinho tested James again from distance, this time the former City stopper held the shot.
Three minutes before half-time City made a wonderful move involving Elano, Wright-Phillips and Robinho, who produced some amazing skills to leave James on the floor before his fine chip was cleared.
City had Zabaleta to thank a minute later as he volleyed away a goalbound header from Sol Campbell following a left sided corner. After which the Argentine had the song ‘There’s only one Zabaleta’ ringing in his ears.
HALF TIME: City 2-0 Portsmouth
Pompey made one change at the break, Utaka for Kaboul and there was almost a change to the scoreline within the first 30 seconds after the restart.
Micah Richards’ headed clearance hit Defoe on the head and he controlled the ball and broke clear to cut into the left edge of the box. He flicked at the ball with the outside of his foot and whether it was a shot or cross for Crouch, only he will know, but the ball thankfully went wide of the goal.
On 53 minutes Stephen Ireland put in the tackle of the game on Armand Traore. Pompey broke clear with pace and as Utaka fed Traore, Ireland kept pace with him and timed his challenge to perfection, earning a standing ovation in the process.
It was Stephen Ireland again, having a fantastic game, who set City on the way to a third goal on 57 minutes. His well flighted ball over the top was taken with ease by Jo and as the challenge came in on the edge of the box, he shifted the ball to Robinho who made no mistake, firing beyond James.
The City fans were in full voice now, giving the players and Manager the type of atmosphere he’d asked for in his programme notes.
And the fans were up again on 68 minutes as the rampant Blues made it 4-0 and rightfully so because it was a fantastic goal.
It all started in the right-back position as Pablo Zabaleta, not to be shown up by his Brazilian team mates, showed a touch of Argentinean flair in beating two men before finding Ireland.
The young midfielder then delivered a great ball for Wright-Phillips to race on to and after breaking the offside he drilled it home much to the delight of the South Stand as the Academy Graduate slide on his knees in front of his adoring fans.
Referee Wiley was clearly feeling sorry for Redknapp’s men because substitute Ched Evans was denied a certain penalty when Belhadj pulled him down on 77 minutes but it didn’t matter because the fifth goal was just around the corner.
Vincent Kompany sprayed a fine ball out to the left and after a couple of step-overs Robinho whipped a great cross in for Wright-Phillips, he backheeled to Ched Evans who tapped home his first Premier League goal for the Club from close range.
It was 6-0 on 83 minutes as Gelson Fernandes got in on the act with his first goal of the season.
Kompany again was the supplier, he found Garrido and his wicked left wing cross saw Wright-Phillips and James clash as they both tried to meet the cross, the ball fell to the Swiss midfielder who gleefully slid in to fire into the unguarded net.
And it was almost seven as Wright-Phillips found Fernandes who’s cross was met on the full volley by Evans and it fizzed just over the bar drawing ‘ooh’s’ from the crowd.
City then just played out time to round off a fantastic exhibition of football by Mark Hughes’s men and send a message to the rest of the Premier League.
FULL TIME: City 6-0 Portsmouth
