The journey from euphoria to desolation took 193 seconds for Ipswich. Wild jubilation rolled down all three tiers of the away section at the Etihad Stadium when Sammie Szmodics swept the newcomers into the lead at the champions, Manchester City.

Back in the big time after a 22-year absence. And then it was gone; the ecstasy, the hope and the game. Brutal, this Premier League business.

It can be a bad idea to aggravate the best team in the land but, for a fleeting moment, Ipswich fans could lose themselves in a goal that maintained their phenomenal rise under Kieran McKenna.

Szmodics, on his first Premier League start after a £9m move from Blackburn, stole in behind a square City defence and steered Ben Johnson’s pass beyond Ederson.

Seven minutes had elapsed. They led until the 12th and were 3-1 down by the 16th, when Erling Haaland converted his second of the game. McKenna, his players and fans who had been cavorting 193 seconds earlier were stunned.

City were too strong, too cool and too experienced to let the stun of Ipswich’s early lead affect them. By the same token, all three of their rapid-fire goals stemmed from Ipswich errors with Arijanet Muric, a one-time City goalkeeper, enduring a debut to forget for the visitors.

Haaland converted emphatically from the penalty spot after Leif Davis committed a needless foul on Savinho two minutes after Szmodics’s stun breakthrough.

There was a lengthy delay while the referee, Michael Salisbury, studied the pitchside monitor, having initially dismissed the winger’s penalty appeal. But once the Norway international scored his 92nd goal in 101 appearances for City, a sense of order was restored.

Kevin De Bruyne soon steered the champions ahead when Muric was caught dawdling in possession on the edge of his own area by Savinho, the recent signing from Troyes who resembles Riyad Mahrez in running style, technique and delivery – not to mention he wears the Algerian’s No 26 shirt. The Brazilian turned the ball back for the City captain to side-foot into an unguarded net.

Seconds later De Bruyne clipped a ball from just inside the home half into a gap between Ipswich’s central defence. Muric came careering towards the edge of his area and Haaland, first to the Belgian’s invitation, simply headed the ball beyond the advancing keeper before cushioning a finish home.

 

Rico Lewis and De Bruyne struck the crossbar with Muric stranded and Ipwich trying to comprehend what had happened to them, the former from close range, the latter from 30 yards, while Savinho was fortunate to escape conceding a penalty for a foul on Davis.

McKenna’s side showed promise on the front foot with the former City striker Liam Delap a handful for the home defence. But there was never any prospect of an Ipswich recovery.

Muric, to be fair, saved superbly from a Haaland header in the second half but the goal machine would not be denied his hat-trick. After a spot of pinball outside the visitors’ box Haaland spun and arrowed a shot just inside the keeper’s left-hand post for his 94th goal in 101 games for City.

Ilkay Gündogan, who started on the bench after his unexpected return from Barcelona on Friday, was introduced to a rousing reception in the 71st minute as Guardiola’s side toyed with their opponents in the closing stages.