WIth Manchester City nowhere near their fluent best of late, struggling Ipswich sensed an opportunity from the get-go.
City academy graduate Liam Delap was only denied by a last-ditch Josko Gvardiol block, but the Tractor Boys were swiftly reminded of the quality City possess when Erling Haaland raced through on goal and the hosts needed Christian Walton to bail them out with a fine one-handed save.
That proved to be a mere stay of execution though, and when Phil Foden turned home Kevin De Bruyne’s delivery on 27 minutes, the carnage began.
Determined to get back to their lethal best, City doubled their lead just three minutes later. Foden was again involved, turning creator to tee up Mateo Kovacic, who swept home from the edge of the area.
Ipswich simply couldn’t get a hold on Foden throughout the first half, and the England international was tormenting the hosts again before the half-time whistle was blown, ghosting into the area to sweep home De Bruyne’s cross after the Belgian did the heavy lifting down the left.
After squandering a multi-goal lead (vs Brentford) only in midweek, City wouldn’t have been sitting too comfortably despite the clear gulf in class.
That was at least until Jeremy Doku jinked his way into the area within five minutes of the restart, and watched on as his deflected effort nestled into the far corner.
The Belgian winger had been largely quiet throughout, but he was involved in City’s fifth before the hour mark too, grateful accepting Jack Clarke’s misplaced pass and teeing up Haaland to score just days after signing a new 10-year contract.
City were never likely to take their foot off the gas, and despite making a raft of substitutes, it was one of those changes that turned home their sixth goal, when James McAtee headed in Kovacic’s delivery.
Perhaps looking towards their final duo of Champions League group stage tests later this month, City did relinquish a little at this point, declaring at six after a performance that felt like the ‘good old days’ under Guardiola.
And while they still have some way to go to prove they’ve truly turned a corner, inflicting Ipswich’s joint-heaviest Premier League defeat this century was certainly a good start.