Adebayor leads Man City to victory

Aug 30, 2009 - 4:30 PM By ALEX CROOK STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Mark Hughes is backing Emmanuel Adebayor to fire Manchester City to a top four finish after scoring his third goal in as many games to defeat Portsmouth 2-1 on Sunday.

Adebayor bagged his third goal in as many Premier League games to maintain big spending City's 100 per cent start to the season.

Delighted Hughes said: "Adebayor was superb again today. There was a lot said about Adie as a player and as a person and a lot of it was negative.

"But he has come in and is very much wanting to be a success for us. He has got a good vocal voice in the dressing room and a lot of things that were said before and I have not seen it.

"He is enjoying what is around him, enjoying playing with good players and the fans love him. Maybe that was missing from his life before.

"He knows he is at the start of something special and wants to play a big part in that. He has got a big personality and is a huge presence on the field.

"It is still early but what we have to do is make sure we are in the mix when it comes to the business end. We have negotiated the first part of the season."

Portsmouth handed debuts to new signings Tommy Smith and Michael Brown while Joleon Lescott made his first Premier League appearance for City since a 24 million pounds switch from Everton.

Pompey new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim donned a personalised replica shirt as he took in his first game since completing his protracted takeover, but it was City who made most of the early running.

Portsmouth were without David James because of a knee injury and stand-in Asmir Begovic threatened to gift City the lead on the quarter hour.

Begovic spilt Gareth Barry's teasing free kick but with the Bosnian left on his backside, Micah Richards somehow failed to force the ball over the line from four yards before Richard Hughes got back to clear.

City benefitted from more slapstick defending to take the lead 15 minutes later as Adebayor was left unmarked inside Pompey's six-yard box to nod in Barry's corner.

The game should have been all but over five minutes before half time when Richards slid in to convert Craig Bellamy's cross but referee Howard Webb ruled the goal out because Barry was offside, even though he was not interfering in play.

It took until 12 minutes from time for Portsmouth to seriously threaten Shay Given's goal when substitute John Utaka cut in from the right and fizzed a left foot curler inches wide.

Fellow substitute David Nugent should have earned Pompey a point they would scarcely have deserved seconds after coming on.

Brown's lofted ball put the City defence on the back foot presenting Nugent with a clear strike at goal six yards out but he hit his shot into the ground and the ball struck Given in the chest and bounced away to safety.

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart said: "I thought we played very well. I was pleased with the way we went about our job."