Town fell to their joint-heaviest home defeat as they were thrashed 6-0 by Manchester City at Portman Road. The Blues played well for the first half hour but once Phil Foden, on 27, Mateo Kovacic, three minutes later, and then Foden again in the 42nd minute had given the visitors a three-goal half-time lead, it was one-way traffic in the second period with Jeremy Doku, 49, Erling Haaland, 57, and James McAtee, 69, completing the scoring to inflict Town’s biggest home loss since Liverpool won by the same scoreline in February 2002.

The Blues made five changes from the team which lost 2-0 to Brighton on Thursday with Ben Godfrey handed his league debut and skipper Sam Morsy, Cameron Burgess, Ben Johnson and Jack Clarke returning to the team.

Godfrey took over from Luke Woolfenden, who was left out of the 20-man party, but lined up to the right of Dara O’Shea, who was in the centre alongside Burgess, who came in for Jacob Greaves, who was also absent from the squad.

Johnson was wide on the right with Wes Burns on the bench and Leif Davis on the left with Christian Walton continuing in goal.

Morsy replaced Kalvin Phillips, who was ineligible against his parent club, alongside Jens Cajuste in midfield.

Clarke came in for Nathan Broadhead, who was among the subs, alongside Omari Hutchinson behind number nine Liam Delap.

Jaden Philogene was on the bench having signed from Aston Villa in midweek, as was Axel Tuanzebe after returning from his hamstring injury.

City made four changes from the 2-2 draw with Brentford in midweek with Ederson, Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan and Jeremy Doku coming in for Stefan Ortega, Nathan Ake, who has a knock, Bernardo Silva and Savinho.

Town began the game well and won a corner in the third minute, Matheus Nunes nodding beyond his keeper and out of play. From the flag-kick, Burgess rose highest but his header looped for another corner off Dias.

City began to see most of the ball but in the eighth minute Johnson won the ball not far outside the Town area, before Clarke burst away into the City half and fed Delap to his right. The former City frontman cut inside Dias and hit a shot which was blocked. The Blues picked up the ball again but were unable to get in another effort.

The visitors should have gone in front on the quarter hour from the game’s first serious chance. Kovacic threaded a superb ball through for Erling Haaland to chase into the box behind O’Shea but the Norwegian, who signed a new 10-year contract this week, shot too close to Walton, who saved with his left hand.

The resultant corner came to nothing but the Blues were subsequently unable to play their way out from the back and an effort from Foden from the right of the area was blocked before Kovacic shot deep into the North Stand from the edge of box.

On 20, Foden unleashed a strike from 20 yards but it hit Gundogan and deflected through to Walton.

Three minutes later, Delap battled with Kovacic, won the ball, took it on and was fouled just outside the box to the left.

Clarke took the free-kick and laid it off to the unmarked Hutchinson on the edge of the area from where the former Chelsea man struck a powerful shot which flicked over off Haaland’s head when on its way into the roof of the net.

From the corner, Town threatened again, O’Shea rising high heading towards goal but Ederson claimed two-handed under his bar.

However, the visitors took the lead in the 27th minute. Doku fed in Kevin De Bruyne on the left of the box and the Belgian chipped a cross to Foden on the edge of the six-yard box at the near post. The England international deftly took it down before hitting a quick shot on the half-turn which gave Walton no chance.

The Town fans tried to up the noise despite their side having gone behind and on 29 Delap brought the ball forward before hitting an ambitious shot from distance which Ederson saved down to his right.

A minute later, it was 2-0. Foden squared the ball to Kovacic on the edge of the area to his right and the Croatian international fired a low shot into the corner of the net.

Performance-wise, the Blues had had a decent first half hour, playing as well as they might have hoped against such illustrious opposition, but still found themselves two goals down.

Davis whipped a cross over from the left into Ederson’s arms, then De Bruyne shot over from the edge after more good work from Foden.

City made it 3-0 and effectively tied up the points in the 42nd minute. Doku threaded in De Bruyne behind Godfrey on the left and, as Burgess came out to cover, cut back to Foden on the edge of the six-yard box, from where he turned the ball under Walton and into the net for his second goal of the game, fifth in his last three Premier League games and his sixth in his last six in the top flight.

Neither side threatened in the remaining scheduled time and one additional minute. The scoreline was harsh on the Blues’ display overall, certainly up to the first City goal, with Town giving as good as they got against the Premier League champions and creating a couple of decent chances.

However, the visitors’ quality eventually showed with the Blues unable to keep Foden and De Bruyne in check with the first goal cleverly converted by the England man, who then teed-up Kovacic for the second, before De Bruyne again made the most of be able to break into the area unchecked to create the third.

Town, facing an impossible task to get back in the game, were first to threaten after the break, Delap feeding Johnson on the right of the area and the West Ham man hitting a low shot across Ederson that the keeper initially couldn’t hold but claimed off a defender’s shins.

But within a minute, the visitors scored their fourth. De Bruyne sent Doku way on the left, the Belgian international taking the ball into the area and cutting between Godfrey and Morsy before hitting a shot across Walton which caught O’Shea and nestled in the corner of the net.

And on 57, it was 5-0. Clarke made a wayward pass not far inside the Town half, gifting possession to Doku, who gratefully accepted it, took it forward and cut inside to the right to Haaland, who slipped it past Walton.

City continued to look for goals and two minutes after the fifth goal Haaland and Doku exchanged passes on the left of the box, but the Norwegian’s shot was blocked. De Bruyne’s follow-up deflected onto the roof of the net.

Town hadn’t been in it as an attacking force since the fourth goal, but on 62 Hutchinson played a one-two with Johnson on the right and hit a cross-shot which Ederson claimed but took out for a corner, which came to nothing.

A minute later, City swapped Haaland, De Bruyne and the outstanding Foden for Divin Mubama, Jack Grealish and James McAtee, then Town switched Clarke, Cajuste and Godfrey for debutant Philogene, wearing Jaden on the back of his shirt, Massimo Luongo and Tuanzebe, whose return was warmly cheered by the home support.

Five minutes after coming on, McAtee made it six. Kovacic was given time and space to chip a ball over the Town backline and the England U21 international got in behind and nodded a looping header over Walton from 10 yards out at the back post.

Town made two more changes in the 73rd minute, Delap and Hutchinson making way for George Hirst and Jack Taylor.

Nunez was booked for a foul on Davis on the left in the 79th minute, the game’s first yellow card, but the free-kick came to nothing.

City played out the remaining minutes in complete control of the game but with the Blues able to prevent any further goals.

After the whistle, the Town players and staff went over to the North Stand and were warmly cheered and applauded by their fans, despite the heaviest defeat of the McKenna era.

A chastening afternoon for the Blues, who can look back on a first half hour in which they matched the visitors and created a couple of openings.

However, City’s quality carved out their clearer cut chances, which were taken to take the game well away from the home side. In the second half, once the fourth goal went in, it was all City with Town’s aim to do nothing more than keep the scoreline down.

The worst Blues home defeat since the 6-0 at home to Liverpool in February 2002 and their heaviest loss full stop since losing by the same scoreline to Blackpool in August 2012. It is also the heaviest home defeat in the top flight this season and City’s biggest ever away win in the Premier League.

The thrashing by the Reds in 2002 precipitated a collapse which ended in relegation from the Premier League, Town having been 12th at the time.

A similar disintegration from McKenna’s men seems unlikely but the result and the narrative of the game illustrates the gulf between the teams towards the top of the division and those at the bottom.

However, shipping so many goals is a big blow to their goal difference, the Blues now sitting six worse off than Wolves above them in the final safe spot with the teams still equal on points.

Following their poor run, City needed a win and perhaps a big one given the spotlight they and manager Pep Guardiola have been under.

It doesn’t get any easier for Town with a trip to leaders Liverpool, where they were beaten 5-0 on their last Premier League visit in May 2002, up next on Sunday.

Town: Walton, Johnson, Godfrey (Tuanzebe 64), O'Shea, Burgess, Morsy, Cajuste (Luongo 64), Davis, Hutchinson (Taylor 73), Clarke (Philogene 64), Delap (Hirst 73). Unused: Muric, Townsend, Burns, Broadhead.

Manchester City: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne (Grealish 64), Foden (McAtee 64), Doku, Haaland (Mubama 64). Unused: Moreno, Bernardo, Savinho, Alleyne, O'Reilly, Lewis. Referee: Sam Barrott (West Riding). VAR: Paul Tierney. Att: 29,841 (City: 2,980).

Photo: Matchday Images

backwaywhen added 20:36 - Jan 19 Wooly74 POTD well said .
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bobble added 20:38 - Jan 19 All good, i wasnt expecting us to beat city with our 2nd/3rd division team, its the evertons and wolves games etc we need to not lose..
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Carberry added 20:40 - Jan 19 'two years ago, we could only dream of taking a tonking off City in a live on sky premier league game'. I've never dreamt of that. How wonderful that so many people can get so much joy from the 'journey' we have made so quickly, how wonderful it that eclipses getting hammered 6-0 at home. Why don't people on here look at what's happening with both eyes open. The players at the club aren't good enough to play the system McKenna wants to play, we bring in others who still aren't good enough and the ones who got us here are not at the level required. We are in the bottom 3 because that's how good we are. The manager needs to find a different way to play and fast, otherwise we will huff and puff our way into the Championship.

1

Carberry added 20:40 - Jan 19 'two years ago, we could only dream of taking a tonking off City in a live on sky premier league game'. I've never dreamt of that. How wonderful that so many people can get so much joy from the 'journey' we have made so quickly, how wonderful it that eclipses getting hammered 6-0 at home. Why don't people on here look at what's happening with both eyes open. The players at the club aren't good enough to play the system McKenna wants to play, we bring in others who still aren't good enough and the ones who got us here are not at the level required. We are in the bottom 3 because that's how good we are. The manager needs to find a different way to play and fast, otherwise we will huff and puff our way into the Championship.

0

Bert added 20:41 - Jan 19 The owners are in this for the long haul as are most of us, but with a so called supporter like Blueboy81 they may wonder why they are bothering. Unlike the vast majority of supporters who stayed until the end, he obviously did not in his rush to slag off everything that is ITFC.
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RobsonWark added 21:00 - Jan 19 If only Muric hadn't played in so many games we would have had so many more points and been higher up the table.
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OohArrPaulGoddard added 21:01 - Jan 19 “You will never beat Tuanzebee” the only player Doku didn’t glide past. Glad he is back. The players looked tired today. I think we have as good a chance of staying up as Wolves so all to play for.
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DannyITFC added 21:02 - Jan 19 No disgrace in losing to arguably the best team in the world at home, however the performance levels dropped off after the 1st goal at an alarming rate and it could have been much more than 6 tbh. Never have I seen so many people leave 20/30 mins before the end! That’s not what we want to see. This amongst other games shows we are sadly out of our depth at this level, we have top championship players but no good premier league players and it shows. Town have have punching to still be in with an outside chance of staying up, but in reality Everton and Wolves have much better players who will over the season get the job done and avoid relegation. When we are relegated it will be a chance to keep the squad together and develop, come back stronger hopefully next season gaining promotion. But next time we come up we need to sign 3/4 quality premier league level players otherwise we will be relegated again. Whilst we are still mathematically capable of staying up they must keep fighting but relegation is probably what we need to move forward ironically, we will come back stronger I’m sure next time we are promoted.

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warktheline added 21:22 - Jan 19 Embarrassed was when the likes of Peterborough and Norwich were hitting 5,6 and 7 past us, get a grip and for those who have had an agenda against McKenna and the takeover, sit down because you are embarrassing yourselves!
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Leejames99 added 21:35 - Jan 19 @Robsonwark Stop blaming Muric, there is nothing between him and Walton, both have good and bad points in fact Muric conceded 30 in 16 games so 2 a game on average. Walton 12 in 6 so they both the same and we were knocked out of cup with Walton in goal. The player that has caused us to lose most points this season is unfortunately Morsey, stats don't lie. New keeper altogether be good Kelhner from Liverpool if we stay up or either our keepers now and even Slicker be fab in Championship. Unfortunately the players who got us to the Prem re just in a division too much for them. That's why we are evolving, but we'll done to broadhead, Walton, Davis, Burgess, Hirst (tbc) have made the step up. Mckenna and Ashton are great and sticking to the plan.

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TimmyH added 21:38 - Jan 19 Folks, just to remind that Forest narrowly beat the drop last season and look where they are now. The thing is they don't play sparkling tippy tappy football and have one of the lowest possession based stats in the league!...they've recruited well over the summer, they have a good number 10 in Gibbs-White and 2 good CB's and a GK playing out of his skin as well as veteran Chris Wood doing the same. Something we should aspire too, personally I'm not sure our recruitment has been 100% spot on, another rather lightweight player whom has done well in the Championship but at a higher level?

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TimmyH added 21:42 - Jan 19 Philogene I should state...or is KMcK planning possibly for the eventuality of Championship football and to climb back?
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shakytown added 22:06 - Jan 19 Blue budgie keeps ranting about our owners (not his budgie losers ) but they are same people who are still investing heavily in the infrastructure and playing staff. Time to take your boring crap back to cowdung road little fella.
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RobsonWark added 22:08 - Jan 19 The past two seasons, the improvements from our January signings haven't kicked in till mid February. So look forward to picking up points from then on till the end of the season.
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Umros added 22:21 - Jan 19 Blimey lots of negative people on here ! Probably the same that left on 60 minutes. Now that’s a disgrace as some might put! Get real please, this is what we strived for two years ago and now it’s here the moaning starts because we get whacked by a squad of players 6-7 times more expensive and 5 x champions! Please feel free to walk away, the club doesn’t need you anyway !

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Mariner1974 added 22:34 - Jan 19 People might find me weird, but I came away from Portman Road smiling...not angry this evening. That's not because I'm not ambitious, but because I'm a positive person who takes a breath and takes it in. Remember when we played Fulham and Wolves in Cup competitions in recent times? That seemed like something amazing after all the years of being in the doldrums. ooohh we get to play Wolves! Exciting! When we got our wonderful promotion this year, the game I was most looking forward to? - Welcoming Man City to Portman Road. Something we could only dream about a few years ago. How amazing is that? Man City legitimately coming to play at our gaff, us both being in the same division. Was I looking forward to it expecting us to win? Nah. I was just looking forward to it as an achievement of how far we've come in the past few seasons. The fact that coming to the ground today after beating Chelsea in recent times, I even had a tiny spark of hope we'd get something from the game. Against Man City. Crazy right? It wasn't long ago we were there sitting at home during the pandemic, when no fans were allowed in the ground, and the most news we had to discuss was Paul Lambert consigning Kayden Jackson to the reserves after his red card lunge. Today we played Man City. Yes we were spanked, but we were spanked by the 4 in a row champions, recent Champions League winners, and we lucky folk got to watch one of the greatest players of his generation Kevin De Bruyne, alongside the player of the year last year Philly Foden, the world's most famous striker Haaland, and many others. You can look at the subs warming up and actually recognise them now! That's Jack Grealish...that's Bernardo Silva. I can be in awe for a game or two, why not.Watching Man City at Portman Road and the wing play of Doku, the timing and artistry of De Bruyne and the slick finishing of Phil Foden, that I'd only before seen on TV's across the land and across the world. They were here...in Ipswich...at our ground. That made me very proud. Should I be happy with a 6-0 loss? Probably not. Am I gonna enjoy watching great footballers in the flesh, and take it on the chin for more matched opponents up coming. Hell yeah. We've got Cajuste in midfield not Alan Judge... We've just bought Jaden Philogene not Gwion Edwards (actually I quite liked him)...We've got Liam Delap up front not Ollie Hawkins. Life is good guys. Yes we've been spanked by Man City, but we got to see World Class footballers on our door step, and we've got some amazing young players we've acquired for a sparkling future. Roll on Southampton and Spurs coming to Portman Road!

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carlgibbs13 added 22:47 - Jan 19 Anyone remember back in 2001 when we beat Man City 2-1. It confirmed their relegation and got Joe Royle the sack?? I’m not saying there are comparisons, but look where city are now. Our success isn’t going to happen overnight. If we get relegated then we come back the following year even stronger. Stop bitching about us losing to a world class team. Yes the score line was poor, but what do we expect? Lots of players in our team who are well out of their depth in the premier league. But after what they have achieved the last 3 seasons, they all fully deserve this chance. If we stay up, we have a load of top championship players with premier league experience ready to be sold to the championship. Good business if you ask me. If we get relegated, we have a squad of experienced players ready to go again. We are looking at long term, not overnight success.

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Leejames99 added 22:50 - Jan 19 @robsonwark I'm not obsessed with Town going down, I'd love them to stay up but I'm also realistic enough to know we might and most likely could this season and that we have no divine right to be in Prem yet but should we go down I do believe we have recruited really well with relegation in mind to 1 get the best players and most promising from Championship to enable us to be better prepared for the Prem and also who are assetsvshould we need yo sell, which we don't! I want us to stay up but I won't be fussed if we do go down this season, no team to my knowledge has recruited like us with long term investment, ability etc in mind. All the players bought in are internationals, all of them aside loans are tied to 4 or 5 year contracts and all will know playing in Championship next season is possible. When you go up, your favourites to go down again and getting established Prem players in is difficult, so we scooped all the top Cham0ionship players with l9ng, bright futures. In terms of Muric yep he has made some awful howlers, don't think some fans helped him at all and I have no idea why Halkdy chose to go sit in bench at Burnley, I don't think there is much difference in keepers, penalties, fouls, not shutting shop is what has cost us. I actually think we need a brand new keeper for next season, if we stay up Kelhner from Liverpool would be at home here with his ROI team mates or Nick Pope back at his club. I hope we go into transfer window now and get Morgan Whitaker and Callum Wilson, I think Morgan Whitaker could play in 10 but Szmodicks can too and if Callum Wilson stays fit he knows where back of goal is and before you say too old look at Chris Wood, Danny Wellveck. We just need a good 10 to link between mid and front. Gritty midfielder with youth and talent and we have one in Cameron Humphries his season at Wycome will have him ready to step up. Doak would be amazing and another who wants to go on loan is Will Lankshear from Spurs, another great striker who could help us. Just staying realistic, we are much more prepared for relegation, should it happen than any teams for many years but 17th and retain status is the first mission and I still believe we can achieve it. COYB

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SpiritOfJohn added 22:56 - Jan 19 We competed for 25 minutes, but then Doku and DeBruyne ran us ragged down our right hand side. City have not been champions 4 years in a row by accident, they work incredibly hard out of possession and have so much quality once they win the ball back. I was disappointed that we didn't manage to ruffle their feathers after they took the lead, but ultimately accept that it was a bridge too far for us today. Superb support from the faithful who stayed until the end will encourage the team that we can stay up if we stick together.

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delias_cheesy_flaps added 00:15 - Jan 20 I would have liked KM to give 2 up front a go at HT, and be more direct, we had nothing to lose.
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mehrad added 00:30 - Jan 20 The first 20 mins was VERY encouraging. After that it was the Jeremy Doku show - what a difference maker. We were backing off of him into the penalty area and from then on, it was a toss-up whether City were going to score. Worried that our recruiting other than Delap (and maybe O'Shea) has been very suspect and too focused domestically. We tend to play tighter away from home, so hopefully confidence is not affected and we can give a better showing at Liverpool.

0

algy added 00:32 - Jan 20 We do seem to have a lot of fans, happy and star struck at seeing the stars of TV football playing on our pitch, but I couldn't care less about who we play, I go to see the Town and I'm probably being unreasonable hoping for better than 1 win, 7 points, 8 goals, and half the oppo goalies getting clean sheets from 12 games.
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armchaircritic59 added 02:16 - Jan 20 I speak as both very much an Ipswich Town supporter (first game 1962-63, don't attend now, largely for health reasons), and as someone who enjoys watching football in general, Italian, Spanish, etc. I've given my opinion of the match elsewhere, so not here. I've always enjoyed watching the better and best opposing players. Without them, we wouldn't have a game to watch, and City certainly have a fair number who fit that description. So on that theme, I disagree, politely, with algy just above, though he's as entitled to his opinion as I am. Sometimes in football as in life you just have to tip your hat to superior opposition. We have done the footballing equivalent of building Rome in one day. That can sometimes lead to shaky foundations. Like a diver with the bends we may have come up too quickly! Lets not start pulling this great club apart after all that has happened in the past 2/3 years. Some may like to check out the Oxford dictionary definition of the word " support ". Yes it was painful today, we are not the first and won't be the last to get rolled over by a team that is way ahead of us in class, budget, and Premier League experience. The commentator mentioned the Manchester United 7-2 victory here in 1963, I witnessed it live! I feel your pain everyone, but it would never stop me supporting my team, even if these days from the comfort of a sofa!

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Leejames99 added 02:27 - Jan 20 Just read Oxelainde- Chamberlain available, he would be a good addition, need Ed Sheeran get on the phone to his lady Perrie from Little Mix. Only 31 with huge experience, him, Phillips and Cajuste be solid. Hope we go for Will Lankshear from Spurs on loan
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Mariner1974 added 02:44 - Jan 20 Lee you're busy with some late night shopping! The window's open til the end of January, don't worry!
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