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Emmanuel Adebayor scored less than three minutes into his debut to help Manchester City to a 2-0 Premier League win away to Blackburn Rovers.

The Togolese striker gave City the perfect start to the 2009/10 season, ramming home the opening goal to finish a move he started.

Midfielder Stephen Ireland put the result beyond doubt in second half stoppage time, slotting the ball coolly past the stranded Paul Robinson,

Although Blackburn dominated the game, with many more goal attempts than the visitors, they lacked the clinical edge provided by City's summer signing from Arsenal.

Adebayor took just 150 seconds to show why City shelled out £25 million for his services.

He played a diagonal ball to Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right flank and continued his run into the box, where he received the winger's return pass and sidefooted powerfully past Robinson into the right corner.

It was the ninth time he has beaten Robinson in the Premier League - five more than the next goalkeeper, Adebayor's new team-mate Shay Given.

The goal showcased the kind of powerful, energetic play Arsenal fans saw too little of last season; Adebayor put more effort into his enthusiastic celebration than he did into some of his final games for the Gunners.

City's fast start took the heat off manager Mark Hughes, who surprisingly selected Craig Bellamy to partner Adebayor up front and left Carlos Tevez on the bench.

The Argentine managed a smile despite crossing town from Manchester United to secure more frequent first-team football. Too many more Saturdays as a spectator could test Tevez's patience.

The 25-year-old replaced Robinho with just over 20 minutes to go but made little impact, save a shot from the edge of the box that Robinson parried to safety.

Bellamy played the full game, which could call into further scrutiny the manner in which City pulled him out of Wales's midweek friendly against Montenegro.

Blackburn responded to the early setback well, attacking in the direct, physical style characteristic of Sam Allardyce-managed sides.

Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throws caused particular problems for Given, who looked unusually shaky.

However the Irishman more than redeemed himself on 28 minutes when Chris Samba headed a corner towards the bottom-left corner and Given produced an excellent diving save to deny him.

Rovers could not capitalise on their dominance as Jason Roberts and Benni McCarthy both shot over from close range, then Keith Andrews struck a shot into a wall of bodies; the penalty claim for handball against Richard Dunne was rightly rejected.

Adebayor should have picked up at least a yellow card just before the break, when the ball got away from him and he lunged after it. In so doing he stamped his studs into the ankle of El-Hadji Diouf and the Senegalese winger was fortunate not to suffer more serious damage.

After the break, the sun gave way to mist and rain, while Rovers' strikers remained under the weather.

Lars Jacobsen presented Roberts with a golden opportunity, clipping the ball back from the right byline, but the header lacked power and Given saved easily.

Then McCarthy blazed a free-kick over when a little more finesse might have produced a better result.

Ireland ensured City ended with a flourish in the 91st minute. He ran on to a Wright-Phillips through-ball, executed a feint that left Robinson on his backside, and eventually shot into the bottom-right corner.

Hughes fell over as he went to shake Allardyce's hand, but as long as City can keep their slips off the pitch, their manager will be a happy man.

Alex Chick / Eurosport