Manchester City’s revival in 2025 continued as they surged into the Premier League’s top four after thumping Ipswich Town 6-0 at Portman Road on Sunday.

Phil Foden starred for the Citizens, with his assist for Mateo Kovacic sandwiched in between two close-range finishes in the first half, both set up by captain Kevin De Bruyne.

The visitors pulled further clear after the break, with Jack Clarke's sloppy pass being punished by Jeremy Doku, whose strike took a deflection off Dara O'Shea on its way in. 

And on the week of signing a new nine-and-a-half-year contract, Erling Haaland got himself on the scoresheet with a composed finish past Christian Walton before the hour.

Pep Guardiola rung the changes soon after with a must-win Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain up next, with one of City's substitutes concluding the scoring. 

Fresh from his hat-trick heroics in the FA Cup against Salford City, James McAtee headed home his first Premier League goal after being brilliantly picked out by Kovacic. 

City's triumph sees them jump up into the final Champions League place from eighth at the expense of Newcastle United on goal difference. Ipswich, meanwhile, stay in 18th. 

Data Debrief: They couldn't, could they?

The Citizens' unprecedented run of form towards the end of 2024 is firmly in their review mirror, with their performance on Sunday one of the champions. But is a title charge out of reach? The Opta Supercomputer seems to think so, just, handing them a 0.3% chance of lifting a record-extending fifth Premier League. 

Today was just the 13th time City have scored six or more goals in a top-flight game under Guardiola, as many times as Arsene Wenger's Arsenal did so, with only Alex Ferguson's Manchester United (14) netting six or more goals in a game on more occasions in the competition.

But their triumph was inspired by Foden's first half showing. He has scored in three successive Premier League appearances for City for the first time since October 2022. Indeed, he’s scored more goals than any other player in the competition since the turn of the year (five in three games).

Through Foden, Doku and Kovacic, City also had three players score and assist in a single Premier League game for the first time since January 2021 against West Brom (Riyad Mahrez, Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling).