Man City eased to a comprehensive 6-0 win against Portsmouth as they shone in the Eastlands sunshine.
Six different scorers for Hughes' side
Manchester City eased to a comprehensive 6-0 win against Portsmouth as they shone in the Eastlands sunshine.
Jo, Richard Dunne, Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillps, Ched Evans and Gelson Fernandes got the goals as the Blues humbled Harry Redknapp's men.
City looked lively from the off and dominated proceedings as their Brazilian trio of Jo, Robinho and Elano began to run the show.
It was fitting then that it was Jo who opened the scoring on 13 minutes when he evaded the offside trap to skip around David James and roll the ball into an empty net.
Just seven minutes later the Blues then doubled their lead when Elano's clever corner was spilled by James and Dunne was on hand to bundle home the rebound.
Chances came and went at both ends as the half wore on, but it was Mark Hughes' men who continued to create the better openings.
City continued to move to the Samba beat after the break and Robinho grabbed a much-deserved third on 57 minutes when he benefited from fine build-up play to fire an unstoppable effort past a stranded James.
The outstanding Stephen Ireland then laid on a fourth for Wright-Phillips, before Evans stepped off the bench to round off the move of the game on 78 minutes.
There was still time for Fernandes to knock in a sixth as Pompey cracked and crumbled under the incessant pressure.
Expectations
Mark Hughes, the City manager, has been promised time to break into the top four by the club's new owners from Abu Dhabi. But after this, expectations will be sky-high.
Pompey boss Redknapp started off with an unfashionable 3-5-2 line-up and must have regretted it as City pulled their defence apart from the start.
James had already made two good saves, from Robinho and Wright-Phillips, when City went ahead in the 13th minute.
Jo, a handful for the centre-backs all afternoon, was the man to get it.
Robinho slid a pass that caught Younes Kaboul flat-footed to find his fellow Brazilian. As James came racing out, Jo rounded him easily and side-footed the ball into the empty net.
Peter Crouch glanced a header over the bar from a corner as Portsmouth tried to hit back quickly, but almost immediately were 2-0 down.
James had to shoulder some of the blame for this one. Elano's clever corner towards the near post nearly caught him out, and he could only parry the ball for Dunne to bundle home from close range.
Portsmouth then had a spell where they managed to match City and create several chances, but wasted their opportunities to claw their way back.
Crouch came within inches, slamming Glen Johnson's low centre just the wrong side of the post; then Kaboul spooned a shot over from 12 yards, after Sol Campbell had headed down Nadir Belhadj's free-kick.
Outrageous
But Robinho could scent his second goal in as many Premier League games and the 24-year-old nearly scored with some outrageous skill, only to be denied by a block.
Within seconds of the re-start, Jermain Defoe burst through on goal ahead of Micah Richards but finished woefully, poking his shot wide, and that was that for Portsmouth.
City's third goal arrived in the 57th minute - and to general delight in the stadium, the scorer was that man Robinho. It was made by the irrepressible Ireland, who robbed Armand Traore and floated a ball over the top for Jo to knock into his compatriot's path - and Robinho finished expertly with a low strike into the corner.
The fourth was if anything even more popular with the City fans, as Wright-Phillips made it on to the scoresheet.
Ireland was the provider again, delivering a perfect pass for Wright-Phillips to run on to and hammer a shot from a narrow angle past James at his near post.
Evans made it five after Robinho's step-overs flummoxed Campbell; Wright-Phillips executed a Brazilian-style back-heel, and the 19-year-old Welshman completed the job neatly from eight yards out.
Portsmouth were so shell-shocked it was no surprise when the sixth arrived.
Robinho's cross from the left was dangerous; James just managed to stop Wright-Phillips from getting to it, but Fernandes followed up to slam the loose ball home.
Robinho was given a thunderous standing ovation when he was substituted with a few minutes remaining, before Evans crashed a volley a couple of yards too high.
Only the final whistle brought relief for Portsmouth.
| Manchester City |
Team Statistics |
Portsmouth |
| 6 |
Goals |
0 |
| 2 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 9 |
Shots on Target |
2 |
| 5 |
Shots off Target |
7 |
| 3 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 8 |
Corners |
5 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
15 |
| 3 |
Offsides |
3 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 84.4 |
Passing Success |
74.2 |
| 32 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 68.8 |
Tackles Success |
85 |
| 58.4 |
Possession |
41.6 |
| 43.5 |
Territorial Advantage |
56.5 |
|
