Manchester City 3-1 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 24th Aug 2024 16:06 Sammie Szmodics gave the Blues an early lead with his first goal for the club but Manchester City hit back with three quick-fire goals to lead 3-1 at half-time at the Etihad Stadium. Ex-City youngster Aro Muric was handed his Town debut, replacing Christian Walton in goal, the former Brighton man having deputised against Liverpool last week due to the Kosovo international having suffered a calf injury. Ben Johnson came in for his full debut for Wes Burns, who has a hamstring injury, wide on the right but in a more defensive role than the Welshman, while Szmodics came in for Conor Chaplin, who was on the bench, in the centre of the three behind lone striker, former City youngster Liam Delap, the recent addition from Blackburn’s full debut. New signing Jens Cajuste was on the bench, as was Manchester City fan and one-time trialist George Edmundson. City were unchanged from the team which won 2-0 at Chelsea last week with Phil Foden not in the squad due to illness, while Rodri remains absent having suffered a hamstring during the Euros. Returning midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was on the bench. Just prior to kick-off, there was a change of official with fourth official Sam Allison taking over from Michael Salisbury, who had picked up an injury. The game got under way in warm sunshine, following a downpour earlier in the afternoon, and as expected City quickly began to dominate the ball. They created their first chance in the third minute, Josko Gvardiol cutting back from the left and Muric diving at full length to palm it out of the path of Erling Haaland, the Norwegian claiming he’d been fouled by Jacob Greaves behind him but with referee Allison not interested. Contrary to the script, the Blues took the lead with their first attack of the game in the seventh minute. Omari Hutchinson brought the ball forward, cut inside and fed Johnson, who played in Szmodics, whose low shot just about squirmed under Ederson and had enough power to make it over the line. Szmodics, who took his season’s tally to four for the Blues and Rovers, became the first Town player to score in the Premier League since Darren Bent in the 1-0 home win against Middlesbrough in April 2002. But five minutes later, City were awarded a penalty after Leif Davis tripped Savinho on the right of the box as the winger looked to go past him. Referee Allison initially waved away the protests but after a VAR check awarded the kick. Haaland sent the ball to Muric’s right as the keeper dived in the other direction. And in the 14th minute, two minutes after levelling, the home side went in front. Muric took too long on the ball on the edge of the box and was dispossessed by Savinho. It ran loose and City skipper Kevin de Bruyne stroked into the empty net ahead of Haaland. But last season’s 27-goal Premier League top scorer wasn’t to be denied his second of the game, however, and a further two minutes later he made it 3-1. De Bruyne played a superb ball over the top into the left channel, Muric came unconvincingly and was beaten to it by Haaland, who took it by him to the left, then found the net from a tight angle. After the flurry of goals, Town regained their composure and the game settled back into the pattern of the first couple of minutes with City dominating possession and probing for openings. As with the second goal, Town, when they had possession in their defensive third, were struggling to pass their way through the City press. The Premier League champions should have added to their lead in the 18th minute when Rico Lewis hammered against the bar with the goal gaping, the ball bouncing down and away off the line, Jeremy Doku having cut back from the left and Haaland having left it. Within a minute, City had hit the woodwork again, De Bruyne unleashing a 25-yard effort which clanged off the bar with Muric motionless. As the game passed the half hour, following a corner, De Bruyne hit a low effort just wide of Muric’s left post. The City attacks continued to come in waves and on 33 Haaland flicked a header from a right-sided cross beyond the far post. Three minutes later, skipper Sam Morsy was shown his first Premier League yellow card for bringing down the hugely impressive Savinho not far outside the area. Town lined up the wall with draught excluder Davis and Haaland exchanging views at length before De Bruyne smashed it into the wall, much to Town’s relief. On 42, following the first spell of Blues possession since the goals. Davis cut inside from the left and went past Rico Lewis and then Savinho, who seemed to send the left-back crashing. It looked a penalty but both referee Allison and VAR showed no interest. In the third of five additional minutes, Doku was played in on the left of the area and cut back to Haaland, who turned over the bar from the near post. That was the last chance of an entertaining half which had got off to the perfect start for the Blues with Szmodics’s confidently taken goal. The penalty almost immediately afterwards killed any momentum Town might have gained from the lead, and that and then Muric’s error for the second handed the impetus firmly to the home side and the Blues seemed a touch shell-shocked as Haaland made it 3-1. From there, Town reset themselves and defended in three banks as City dominated and prodded, probed and made darting runs in behind and prevented further goals, although with the woodwork also playing a part. The Blues will also feel aggrieved at not having been awarded a penalty with Davis appearing to have been fouled by his tormentor-in-chief Savinho towards the end of the half. Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho, Doku, Haaland. Subs: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Ake, Grealish, Gundogan, Nunes, Kabore, McAtee. Town: Muric, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Johnson, Szmodics, Hutchinson, Delap. Subs: Walton, Edmundson, Burgess, Townsend, Cajuste, Taylor, Harness, Chaplin, Al-Hamadi. Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire). VAR official: David Coote.
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