‘Man City Are Back’, Says Guardiola After Thrashing Ipswich

Published

11 months ago

January 19, 2025

Pep Guardiola claimed Man City are back to their best after Phil Foden starred in a 6-0 rout of struggling Ipswich on Sunday.

Foden netted either side of Mateo Kovacic’s eye-catching goal as City blew Ipswich away with three first-half goals at Portman Road.

Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and James McAtee scored after the interval to give fourth-placed City their biggest league win this season.

Guardiola’s side have won three of their last four league games as they begin the long climb back to respectability after a dismal start to the season.

“We are really pleased, we are back in many things that have defined this team in the last decade, the last years,” Guardiola said.

“Really pleased for the players, they deserved it a lot. We recovered some identities that we lost in this path.

“Really pleased for the three points and to climb a little bit because qualification for the Champions League next season will be really tough.”

Sterner tests lie in wait for City, including a vital Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and looming Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal.

But this was the kind of confident display City used to make look routine during their march to four successive English titles.

Winning is almost certain to prove beyond them as they trail leaders Liverpool by 12 points.

Guardiola will settle for restoring City’s pride this term as he rebuilds a team that suddenly grew old and inconsistent before his eyes.

“The most important thing is that the players, they saw themselves recognise what we are, so that is the best thing I can say,” he said.

Haaland, who has scored 112 goals in just 127 appearances for City, this week committed himself to the club until 2034 when he signed a new nine-and-a-half year deal.

But Kyle Walker was again absent from the City side amid reports that AC Milan are ready to bid for the unsettled England right-back.

In City’s first visit to Portman Road for 23 years, the champions emphasised how powerful they can still be at peak form.

– Ruthless City –

Haaland scored a hat-trick when City beat Ipswich 4-1 in August and he threatened to net in the opening moments in Suffolk.

Kovacic’s pass split the Ipswich defence and sent Haaland clean through on goal, but the Norway striker’s shot was pushed away by Christian Walton.

Omari Hutchinson almost put Ipswich ahead against the run of play with a stinging strike from just inside the area that hit Haaland and flashed just over.

But City’s pressure was rewarded in the 27th minute when Doku and Kevin De Bruyne combined to set up Foden for a clinical close-range finish.

Foden turned provider as ruthless City doubled their lead three minutes later.

Kovacic strode onto Foden’s pass on the edge of the area and smashed a superb low strike past the flat-footed Walton for his first goal since October.

Guardiola’s men were rampant and they struck again three minutes before half-time.

Set free by Doku, De Bruyne raced into the area and cut the ball back for Foden, whose shot from five yards evaded Walton’s weak attempted save.

The England forward’s fifth goal in his last four games maintained his recent improvement.

City have scored 25 first-half goals in 22 games, more than any other team in the Premier League this season.

Ipswich were powerless to stem the tide. Doku danced through their defence to score City’s fourth with a low shot that hit Dara O’Shea on its way past Walton in the 49th minute.

City showed no mercy and Haaland joined the party in the 57th minute.

Jack Clarke conceded possession and Doku teed up Haaland to drill past Walton for his 22nd goal in all competitions this season.

McAtee came off the bench to bag City’s sixth in the 69th minute, the 22-year-old looping a header over Walton from Kovacic’s cross.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:Guardiola Manchester City

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JUST IN: Full Draw For 2026 World Cup Group Stages Confirmed

Published

3 days ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

The draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup has been conducted.

It took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in charge.

There will be 48 teams at next year’s tournament, to be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

All the participating countries were grouped into 12 groups of four.

Here is the full draw:

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner Play-off D
Group B: Canada, Winner Play-off A, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Winner Play-off C
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner Play-off B, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Winner Play-off 2, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Winner Play-off 1, Colombia, Uzbekistan
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

Sports

EPL: Mikel Obi Reveals Why Chelsea Failed To Beat Arsenal in 1-1 Draw

Published

6 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Former Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi, has claimed Chelsea failed to defeat Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, because of an early red card to Moises Caicedo.

The two London rivals played out a pulsating 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute following a VAR check.

But it was Chelsea who took the lead after the break, thanks to Trevor Chalobah’s header.

But the Gunners equalized through Mikel Merino.

So far this season, Chelsea have received seven red cards in 20 games across all competitions this season.

“That’s four red cards this season; it’s not good enough. I’ve spoken about it; the manager needs to talk with the players, because it’s costing us games as well,” Mikel Obi said on his podcast.

“If you look at that game, if we finished with eleven men, I think we could’ve won. Maybe not easily, but comfortably, we could’ve secured a win.”

Sports

EPL: Slot Reveals When Salah Will Leave For AFCON

Published

6 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, has revealed that Mohamed Salah was “not happy” to be dropped for their 2-0 win at West Ham on Sunday.

Salah was named on the bench at the London Stadium for the Premier League fixture.

Slot took the bold decision, as he looked to arrest a poor run of form, that saw the Reds lose nine of 12 matches.

Salah was not summoned from the bench for the entire 90 minutes, as goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo sealed victory.

“It was a normal reaction for a player who is good enough to play for us,” Slot said.

“I say that mildly as he’s been so outstanding for this club and will be in the future. He wasn’t happy he wasn’t starting but he wasn’t the only one.”

Salah could yet return to the starting line-up as Liverpool host Sunderland in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The 33-year-old will remain available for the next four matches, before he leaves to join Egypt’s squad for the African Cup of Nations.

“It’s 15 December,” Slot confirmed.

“But always in these situations there is the player and the national team involved and there are always talks about what is best for all three of us.”