Manchester City delivered a dominant performance in the 22nd round of the English Premier League, crushing hosts Ipswich Town 6-0. The defending champions were spearheaded by Phil Foden, who scored a brace in the 27th and 42nd minutes, alongside an assist to Croatian international Mateo Kovačić, who netted the third goal in the 30th minute.
Several players stood out, particularly Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who provided three assists—two for Foden and one for compatriot Jérémy Doku, who scored the fourth goal in the 59th minute.
Doku also set up Erling Haaland for the fifth goal in the 57th minute. The Norwegian striker celebrated his contract extension with the club until 2034 by bringing his Premier League tally to 17 goals, just one behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who tops the scoring chart.
James McAtee, who replaced De Bruyne, wrapped up the scoring with the sixth goal after an assist from Kovačić.
City capitalized on Newcastle’s 4-1 loss to Bournemouth to climb to fourth place on goal difference, amassing 38 points, though still trailing league leaders Liverpool by 12 points.
This marks City’s third win in their last five matches without defeat, a timely boost ahead of a decisive trip to Paris to face PSG on Wednesday in the penultimate round of the Champions League group stage. Following that, City will host Chelsea and travel to Arsenal in the league, with a clash against Club Brugge in the final group stage fixture sandwiched in between.
In February, City will host Newcastle and Liverpool in consecutive Premier League matchweeks.
Manchester United’s Struggles Continue
In stark contrast, Manchester United slumped back into trouble with a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford.
The loss prompted harsh criticism from manager Rúben Amorim, who stated: “Imagine what this means to a Manchester United fan. Imagine what it means to me. We hired a new coach, and he’s losing more than the previous one. I’m fully aware of that”.
He added: “Perhaps we’re the worst team in Manchester United’s history. I know you’re looking for headlines, and I’m giving them to you because we need to acknowledge it and change it.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes echoed these sentiments: “We cannot be comfortable thinking this is acceptable because it isn’t. I didn’t come here to lose games and be in the position we’re in right now.”
This victory was Brighton’s second in a row, lifting them to ninth place with 34 points, just ahead of Fulham, who defeated Leicester City 2-0 on Saturday.
United, on the other hand, suffered their fourth defeat in their last six league matches, halting their momentum after a 3-1 win over Southampton and a draw against Liverpool. Despite advancing in the FA Cup against Arsenal via penalties, United remain stuck in 13th place with 26 points.
Tottenham Hotspur also suffered a disappointing loss, falling 3-2 to Everton. The Toffees secured their first win under returning manager David Moyes in his second game in charge, following a narrow 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in the previous round. Moyes replaced Sean Dyche, who was dismissed due to poor results.