Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 1In the words of Kevin Keegan, Manchester City's new stadium "came alive". Losing to Arsenal and a lucky draw against Portsmouth were inauspicious beginnings but their generosity to visiting teams was short-lived and, for the first time, the arena reached the decibel levels yesterday for which Maine Road was once revered.
Nicolas Anelka, in particular, appeared intent on ensuring Aston Villa will remember Eastlands as a daunting venue. A stirring second-half revival from Keegan's occasionally schizophrenic side incorporated Anelka's first hat-trick for the club and, supplemented by a venomous free-kick from Michael Tarnat, it was good enough to hoist City to third place in the Premiership, having overtaken Chelsea on goal difference.
Whether they can remain among the leading clutch of teams is open to debate but Keegan is entitled to be optimistic. Perhaps the City manager should not be taken too seriously when he acclaims Anelka as the best forward in Europe but what cannot be doubted is that the 24-year-old is a more mature footballer than the scowling soul at Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
He has the pace, power and precision of finish to trouble the world's most accomplished defenders and now has six goals this season, having spearheaded an impressive comeback with two penalties and a powerful 20-yard drive.
Almost unnoticed in the midst of all this was Robbie Fowler's omission. So lethargic has Fowler appeared since his transfer from Leeds, managing only two goals in 17 appearances, it was perhaps inevitable that he would have to be sacrificed at some time.
Keegan preferred to give Paulo Wanchope his first start for more than two injury-troubled years and Fowler would do well to follow the example set by his friend Steve McManaman, whose first game in the Premiership since his free transfer from Real Madrid was one of cultured intelligence.
McManaman's time at the Bernabeu has seen him flourish as a pass-and-move footballer rather than just the skinny-legged dribbler at Liverpool. He was the catalyst for much of City's most impressive build-up play and coaxed the handball from Mark Delaney that earned Anelka his first penalty.
That was the start of a period of almost unremitting City pressure that conjured up so many scoring opportunities that the fact they accepted only three suggested, if anything, there was a streak of profligacy running through the side.
David O'Leary, the Villa manager, was entitled to believe Thomas Sorensen should have fared better with Tarnat's rising shot, even if it did leave the German's left foot like an exploding firework, but thereafter there was little to dignify the visitors' performance.
Anelka made it 3-1 with his second penalty after Peter Whittingham had upended Sun Jihai and the Frenchman added the final flourish from 20 yards.
The paradox was that Villa had actually looked the more capable during the opening half and thoroughly merited the lead given to them when Juan Pablo Angel headed in Lee Hendrie's cross, albeit a few inches offside. "We did nothing in the second half," complained O'Leary. "I'm very, very disappointed."
Guardian Service
Birmingham City debutant Mikael Forssell scored twice as Steve Bruce's side twice came back from a goal down in an ill-tempered game at St Andrews yesterday to draw 2-2.
Louis Saha's goal in the first minute caught City out but the Finn levelled on the stroke of half-time.
Luis Boa Morte then restored Fulham's lead despite appearing to foul Maik Taylor. However, Forssell scrambled a second equaliser as Birmingham retained their unbeaten record this season.
