Adebayor extends Man City´s perfect start

Manchester City extended their impressive start to the season as Emmanuel Adebayor’s goal clinched a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth on Sunday.

Mark Hughes’s expensively assembled side delivered another repayment on their manager’s 100 million pounds spending spree as they moved into fourth place in the Premier League with their third successive league win.

Once again City’s hero was Togo striker Adebayor, who cost 25 million pounds from Arsenal in the close-season, and has now scored three goals including two winners, in three league games.

While City, who have yet to concede a goal, eye a serious challenge for the Champions League places, Portsmouth look to be facing a grim battle to avoid relegation.

Paul Hart’s team have lost all four of their league matches and even an infusion of fresh blood this week couldn’t halt that run.

England goalkeeper David James, who has been suffering from a knee injury, was missing from Portsmouth’s team, sparking renewed speculation that he could be set for a move to Sunderland or Tottenham before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Tommy Smith and Michael Brown made their Pompey debuts after signing this week, but Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jamie O’Hara were not registered in time following their moves from Spurs.

City centre-back Joleon Lescott made his first league start for the club since joining from Everton.

Sulaiman Al Fahim, sporting a Pompey away shirt with his name printed on the back, was in the stands four days after it was announced an agreement had been made for him to buy the club from Alexandre Gaydamak.

Al Fahim saw Frederic Piquionne race onto Brown’s ball over the top and fire into the side-netting early on.

But Carlos Tevez, City’s Argentine striker, curled a free-kick wide before another set-piece caused confusion in Pompey’s penalty area, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic fumbling under pressure from Lescott then saving at the feet of Micah Richards.

City’s pressure finally told in the 31st minute when Adebayor, poorly marked by Portsmouth’s defence, met Gareth Barry’s inswinging corner with a powerful header that flashed into the net.

Richards converted a Bellamy cross before the break but the defender’s effort was disallowed for offside.

Then Brown had the ball in the net for Pompey but referee Howard Webb had whistled for a handball as the midfielder charged down a clearance.

At the other end, Adebayor squeezed between Smith and Younes Kaboul but his shot was saved by Begovic.

Hughes’s men suffered a blow when Richards was forced off with a leg injury midway through the second half.

Portsmouth finally found some momentum in the closing stages and Kaboul and John Utaka were both off target with long-range efforts.

David Nugent came on for Pompey and should have equalised when he controlled on his chest just six yards out, but the striker hit his shot into Given’s chest.