Manchester City 4, Ipswich Town 1
Erling Haaland scored his 7th Premier League hat trick in just 68 games as Manchester City eased to victory at home to newcomers Ipswich Town.
Ipswich Town took a shock lead after just 7 minutes of this contest but that only served to light the blue touch paper for City who scored 3 goals in 4 minutes in reply and struck the woodwork twice through Rico Lewis and De Bruyne.
The Tractor Boys persisted in playing out from the back and had a shout for a first half penalty against Leif Davis turned down with no intervention from VAR.
John Stones came on for Mateo Kovacic in the second half as City felt confident enough to try the England man out as a defensive midfielder.
City were comfortable throughout and Haaland secured his hat trick when he pounced on a loose ball as Ipswich tried to clear their lines – he turned and smashed home a rare goal from outside the box shortly before the end to secure his 7th Premier League hat trick in only his 68th League league.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 4, Ipswich Town 1
Ederson: 6. Failed to prevent the Ipswich Town goal.
Rico Lewis: 6. Got into a great position for a shot but is effort crashed out off the crossbar. Got even more freedom to push up after John Stones came on.
Manuel Akanji: 6. Seemingly stunned by the early Ipswich Town attack, didn’t react as the ball rolled slowly into the back of the net.
Ruben Dias: 6. Battled for City.
Josko Gvardiol: 6. Snuffed out any danger presented down his side.
Mateo Kovacic: 7. Good range of passing. Injury forced him off early in the second half.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Deeper role alongside Mateo Kovacic. Moved to the right wing after Ilkay Gundogan came on.
Kevin De Bruyne: 8. Spotted a chance and ran onto a Savinho layoff to put City back in front before his cross from the left allowed Erling Haaland to extend City’s lead. Fantastic dipping shot came back off the crossbar. Set up per chance for Haaland hat trick.
Savinho: 8. Earned a penalty with direct running and drawing a foul from Leif Davis and won the ball off Aro Muric to create a goal for Kevin De Bruyne
Jeremy Doku: 7. Tricky wing play from the left, set up what should have been City’s fourth but for a wild finish by Rico Lewis.
Erling Haaland: 9. Deadly in the box again. Hat trick chance acrobatically palmed away by Aro Muric so he completed it with a rare one from outside the box.
John Stones (on for Mateo Kovacic, 51): 6. Trialled at the base of midfield after the injury to Mateo Kovacic.
Ilkay Gundogan (on for Savinho, 71): 6. Big cheers for the returning City midfielder on his second debut.
Jack Grealish (on for Jeremy Doku, 71): 6. First minutes of the season.
James McAtee (on for Erling Haaland, 90): No time to mark
Matheus Nunes (on for Kevin De Bruyne, 90): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 4, Ipswich Town 1
Man City 0, Ipswich Town 1: 7. Sam Szmodics 20 yard shot squirmed under Ederson and rolled into the back of the net after an incisive through ball by Ben Johnson.
Man City 1, Ipswich Town 1: 12: Erling Haaland levelled from the penalty spot with a smashed in effort after Leif Davis brought down Savinho and stand-in referee Sam Allison was directed to the VAR screen to check.
Man City 2, Ipswich Town: 1: 14. Kevin De Bruyne fired City into the lead after Savinho robbed Aro Muric who was dawdling on the ball on the edge of the his area and laid off the ball for the Belgian
Man City 3, Ipswich Town 1: 16. Erling Haaland raced clear down the left and extended the lead with a shot from inside the left edge of the box and a pinpoint cross from the left by Kevin De Bruyne to release him.
Man City 4, Ipswich Town 1: 88. A loose ball came off Ali Al-Hamadi as Town failed to clear the threat and Erling Haaland got the ball, turned, and fired home from 24 yards out.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 4, Ipswich Town 1
Man City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic (Stones 51), Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne (C) (Nunes 90), Savinho (Gundogan 71), Doku (Grealish 71), Haaland (McAtee, 90)
Man City Subs Not Used: Ortega, Walker, Ake, Kabore
Bookings: Dias 59 (foul on Sam Szmodics); Grealish 90+5 (diving)
Goals: Haaland 12, 16, 87; De Bruyne 14
Ipswich Town: Muric, Davis, Wolfenden, Tuanzebe (Edmundson 89), Greaves, Johnson, Szmodics (Harness 72), Luongo (Taylor 72), Morsy (C), Hutchinson (Chaplin 89), Delap (Al-Hamadi 83)
Ipswich Town subs not used: Walton, Cajuste, Burgess, Townsend
Bookings: Morsy 36 (foul on Savinho); Szmodics 55 (foul on Rico Lewis); Al-Hamadi 94 (foul on Jack Grealish)
Goal: Szmodics 7
Referee: Sam Allison (in for Michael Salisbury)