Premier League - Robinho inspires rampant City

Eurosport - Mon, 22 Sep 09:09:00 2008

Robinho scored a goal and created two more as Manchester City thrashed Portsmouth 6-0 in the Premier League at Eastlands.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League - Robinho leaps as he celebrates with his Manchester City team-mates during the thrashing of Portsmouth - 0

The Premier League's record signing provided a masterclass in creative, incisive attacking play, and Pompey had no answer to his speed of mind and body.

The Brazilian supplied an inch-perfect pass for Jo to open the scoring on 13 minutes before Richard Dunne added a second shortly afterwards.

Robinho then scored with a cool finish on 57 minutes, Shaun Wright-Phillips added a fourth, substitute Ched Evans made it five finishing off a remarkable goal, and Gelson Fernandes completed the rout.

Despite the mammoth £32.5 million fee paid to bring Robinho to Eastlands, some doubted whether the quicksilver forward could really succeed in the fast, physical Premier League.

The early signs suggest Robinho's impact will be spectacular.

Last weekend against Chelsea he scored a free-kick and dictated play for City, but a wonky radar meant he surrendered possession as often as he found a team-mate.

This time he added precision to his dizzying array of skills, spraying visionary passes and beating defenders with almost embarrassing ease.

As early as the third minute, he had David James at full stretch with a pinpoint shot, but shortly afterwards he turned provider, laying on a superb diagonal through ball for Jo, who rounded James and finished left-footed.

The pair combined with intuitive brilliance, allowing Jo to start showing why City paid £18m for his services.

City soon extended their lead following a 20th-minute Elano corner. James patted the ball weakly away and captain Dunne pounced to bundle the ball home.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp quickly brought Papa Bouba Diop and John Utaka off the bench but, if anything, they made things worse.

Robinho himself made it three just before the hour. Stephen Ireland drilled a diagonal ball that Jo brought down and laid off to the former Real Madrid man, who slotted home from the edge of the box.

Cue a samba dancing celebration in which Ireland attempted, unsuccessfully, to match the moves of Brazilian trio Robinho, Jo and Elano.

Robinho has now scored in both Premier League games and, even more importantly, created a buzz of dizzying excitement around the blue half of Manchester.

As with City legend Georgi Kinkladze, every time Robinho gets on the ball there is a very real possibility of something extraordinary happening.

Portsmouth were in tatters, and Wright-Phillips took full advantage, running onto another excellent Ireland through-ball and smashing past James at his near post.

More humiliation was to come after 78 minutes. Robinho bamboozled his man on the left side before crossing low for Wright-Phillips. He backheeled brilliantly into the path of Evans whose finish was low and true. Sensational.

Another James howler allowed Gelson to score the final goal. The keeper failed to deal with a low Javier Garrido cross and cleared only to the edge of the box, where Gelson reacted quickest to finish off a devastating performance.

City's new owners have made much of their ambition to qualify for the Champions League this season. After this demolition job, a top-four finish does not seem so far-fetched.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 88 - 107 of 147

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Mancity สู้ๆ

    From Lana, on Mon 22 Sep 7:35AM

  2. Lol...when Fergie leaves?
    Fergie's not leaving when­ he retires fool!!...Man Utd have said many times that­ when Fergie retires he'll be offered a job in the­ Man Utd board

    From Michael, on Mon 22 Sep 7:34AM

  3. Your not scottish are u peter?

    From Jamie, on Mon 22 Sep 7:16AM

  4. good on man city. Im a blackburn rovers supporter, n we­ had uncle jack pave our way to the premier league­ crown. Man utd supporters think they have a god given­ right to be in the top 4, once fergie leaves your lost!

    From Jamie, on Mon 22 Sep 7:15AM

  5. who gives a monkies, premiership football is boring­ rubbish played by a load of over paid nancy boys that­ has meant hard earning people need to pay lots of money­ to watch a load of tripe. You will not win the­ Premiership anymore unless you can afford it so apart­ from the top 4 -5 teams the rest are simply turning up­ and getting paid tons for playing total @#$%. As long­ as Manchester City beat that plonker Fergie, that will­ be the highlight of the year

    From Peter M, on Mon 22 Sep 7:07AM

  6. Awesome display and a statement of intent.

    From Moira, on Mon 22 Sep 6:16AM

  7. I'm just waiting for the news to break that the new­ City owners are money launderers for Bin Laden... after­ the Thai money scandal its bound to happen...

    From Keith, on Mon 22 Sep 5:56AM

  8. cheerio cheerio cheerio sorry just getting warmed up­ for may. bye spurs.

    From stubateman13, on Mon 22 Sep 5:33AM

  9. better than chelsea.. free flowing attacking football,­ various skills.. enjoy to watch.. worth it!`

    From Hafizul, on Mon 22 Sep 5:11AM

  10. alex chick are you a man city supporter lol

    From nicholas s, on Mon 22 Sep 5:06AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i think it is ruins football a bit when u have a team­ with that much money, when you look at the amount­ arsenal spend compared to the other clubs and with no­ big names, yet they can play just as good as all the­ other top teams.

    From jimbobadobadob, on Mon 22 Sep 4:57AM

  12. man utd always go on about being the best team in the­ world. soon they won't even be the best team in­ manchester.

    From fergie, on Mon 22 Sep 4:36AM

  13. Giskard

    EPIC FAIL

    From Andy Jones, on Mon 22 Sep 4:32AM

  14. jasperjasper - nice name. You WILL be doing a double­ take at the end of the season then, won't­ you?

    CITY are on the up and you KNOW it, my BITTER­ little rag.

    From D, on Mon 22 Sep 3:49AM

  15. ref 91
    totally agree. absolutely spot on

    From kevosryan, on Mon 22 Sep 3:49AM

  16. Ian L - nice of you to quote posts from others -­ haven't got the wherewithal to write anything by­ yourself, have you, loser?

    Hey and guess what,­ thicko?

    TEACHER does not necessarily mean a­ vocation...think about it.

    Oops. Sorry. Sincere­ apologies.

    There was I asking YOU to­ think...lol

    Goodbye, little one.

    From D, on Mon 22 Sep 3:46AM

  17. Giskard - got news for you , saddo. Your delusions­ won't help you.

    Go and stew in the corner,­ there's a good little boy.

    From D, on Mon 22 Sep 3:42AM

  18. ref no 64
    wot a load of @#$% your talking. u win one­ game with a big score line. woop-t-@#$%-do.you wont win­ no title or any @#$% cup you dirty blue @#$%

    From chan1957, on Mon 22 Sep 3:39AM

  19. Boro fan and enveous, enjoy we did when we had, rav,­ juno, and emo.. well done

    From bulldust, on Mon 22 Sep 3:17AM

  20. You will still win nothing!!!

    From gillian, on Mon 22 Sep 3:17AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account