Whilst the score line perhaps didn't reflect the share of possession between the two teams, with Blues having plenty of the ball, it certainly did reflect the huge gulf in class between the players on each side - particularly in the forward positions. Still, you'd probably expect that to be the case when Manchester City's front four cost them a combined figure that I would hazard a guess at eclipsing the total amount of money that Blues have spent on players in the club's entire history, and when one of their substitutes (Roque Santa Cruz) cost about the same as it took to put the entire Blues side together.
The game was heading towards half-time at a fairly slow pace with the sides locked at 0-0. Manchester City had had the better chances and looked more likely, but then again Blues had coped fairly well with them. Then came a mad seven or eight minutes or so which saw four goals fly in, which really set the scene for the game.
The breakthrough came through a Carlos Tevez penalty after Scott Dann was perhaps harshly adjudged to have brought down Emmanuel Adebayor in the penalty area. It looked like a soft award of a penalty, but then again, when you're a defender and you're grappling with a centre forward in the box, it's a risk that you run. Tevez stepped up and sent Maik Taylor (in for Joe Hart who couldn't play for obvious reasons) the wrong way.
Almost immediately it was 2-0. Adam Johnson swung in a corner and Nedum Onuoha shrugged off Lee Bowyer to head home. It was pretty poor defending from Bowyer who let Onuoha get away from him and get his head to the ball about three feet off the ground, about six yards from goal. You can't give people that much time and space that far out. Onuoha escaped Bowyer's clutches, and you have to say, if he hadn't, it would probably have been a far more justified penalty appeal than the one that was given. Onuhoa, after Vincent Kompany and Adebayor, is pretty much Manchester City's biggest player, so you might wonder why Bowyer was responsible for marking him with better headers of the ball (Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell and Jerome) all also back defending the corner.
Two goals in quick succession is always a hammer blow, but Blues responded by actually playing their best bit of football in the entire game. A patient move eventually saw James McFadden played in. He skipped past a defender, crossed to the far post, and Jerome was on hand with a good close range header to make it 2-1 just before half-time. A good time to score.
Some may point to Phil Dowd's award of the penalty as the turning point of the game, although Manchester City did then score another four goals after that, so perhaps not. However, following Jerome's goal, Blues conceding straight from the kick-off was certainly a bigger "turning point". If Blues could have got in at half-time at 2-1, having immediately hit back from two quick goals conceded, it could, perhaps, have been a different game. They didn't though.
Craig Bellamy was played in behind Stephen Carr, who was understandably struggling with Bellamy's pace (as most defenders do). It was then that we were all reminded that Maik Taylor was back in goal. Great. Taylor began to bear down on Bellamy, then stopped in no man's land so that Bellamy could square the ball to Adebayor who rolled the ball into the empty net. Taylor had to stick or bust - stay on your line or go and take man and ball. What he did though is something that he's been great at down the years, being hesitant, getting caught out and conceding a soft, soft goal.
Twice previously Taylor had had to endure earache from players in front of him for doing the same thing. He'd already had rollockings from Lee Bowyer and Roger Johnson (who was particularly forthright with his views) for being far, far too hesitant and nearly allowing Adebayor in. Third time's a charm, though, and sure enough Manchester City capitalised and it was pretty much game over.
There'd be an argument for saying that it was because Taylor hasn't played much this season, but that would be wrong really. Taylor's always been like that. He's always done it. That's part of his game. Blues are going to find themselves in something of a Catch 22 situation soon, because they have this season benefitted from having an absolutely superb young goalkeeper in the team in Hart. Where's the catch then? Well, Hart's going to go back to Manchester City, be that in two months time or fourteen months time, and Blues will suddenly realise that finding anyone close to that standard is going to be incredibly difficult or extremely expensive.
The third goal, plus the two examples that I've given of Taylor's prior hesitancy, only go to highlight the confidence that Blues' outfield players have in Hart. You hardly ever see any such issues between outfield players and Hart - they all know where they stand. When you can't see something, you kind of take it for granted. So, when Hart's in goal and there's no such hesitancy, no such mistakes and no such on-field arguments, you forget that they ever happen. You put Taylor back in goal, and you saw it three times in the first forty five minutes. It's difficult to put a price on the confidence that a team feels in their goalkeeper, and it's immeasurable really. Even so though, you could see that those in front of him lacked confidence in Taylor and that lack of confidence penetrated through the side.
If anything, rather than demonstrating how bad Taylor is (because he's not that bad), all this game showed up was how good Joe Hart is and has been for Blues. Had Hart been in goal, Blues would have still lost - don't get me wrong. Blues didn't lose because of their goalkeeper. However, there was enough evidence to show that Hart is light years ahead of Taylor. As the Manchester City fans sang, "you're shit without Joe Hart". Well, not necessarily, but Blues are certainly much weaker.
Hart has probably earned Blues somewhere in the region of twelve to fifteen points this season - he's been that important. Taylor's performance has probably, bizarrely, convinced me that Joe Hart has been our player of the season. Taylor is probably a standard, mid to bottom of the table Premier League 'keeper. Hart is top class. If Hart leaves, Blues' number one priority is to get another top class goalkeeper in. Forget your strikers, wingers and full backs - priority number one will have to be a goalkeeper, and Hart is not far off being irreplaceable. He'll be a massive loss if he does leave this summer, and Blues will be hit hard.
Anyway, it was 3-1 at half-time, and having got back into the game so quickly, for Blues to be hit so hard, so quickly themselves, you sensed there was no way back.
Manchester City spent the second half a little deeper, knowing that it was "job done" and that they could hold off Blues. Blues consequently had plenty of possession, but didn't create a great deal other than a couple of chances for Keith Fahey, one of which he took his eye off the ball when he had Jerome and Shay Given about to land on his head, and one of which Given saved well.
Onohua made it 4-1 as the game neared its conclusion when he ran and ran and ran. Eventually, some 30 yards out, he looked to lay the ball off to a forward. No one reacted though (including the Blues defence), which meant that he could run on to his own pass (or, perhaps, poor control) and finish surprisingly well past Taylor.
Blues heads really did drop then and it seemed that they just wanted to hold on to the ball to prevent any more damage, rather than to do any damage themselves - it was understandable. It didn't work though, as Manchester City still had a fifth in them. A long ball was played towards Adebayor who drew Dann in, span him, and was through on goal. He coolly, calmly approached Taylor and clipped the ball past him. Adebayor had, a few minutes earlier, used exactly the same trick on Roger Johnson who ended up jumping under the ball - it was fine centre forward play against a couple of inexperienced centre halves. Adebayor was superb throughout, and his finish for the fifth looked so, so easy, but actually isn't - witness Christian Benitez or Cameron Jerome in one-on-ones with goalkeepers. Jerome played well and is in the goals at the minute, so I don't want to appear to be critical, but it just highlights the enormous gulf again.
That was that, and the travelling Blues fans, featuring such luminaries as Frankie Gavin, Neil Danns, Scott Dann's wife and myself, left disappointed. It was a little cringe worthy when, during the second half, some (young) Blues fans sang at the Manchester City fans, "where were you when you were shit?" It's one set of fans who you can't really level such accusations at - they've always been there, as they quite rightly sang back. For them, they really are living the dream and should enjoy it for now. Someone coming in with an open cheque book, signing players for £15m, £25m and £40m - well, that's what we'd all love. Sure, it may have consequences in the long run (see Portsmouth), but they should enjoy it while it lasts - good luck to them. They have some wonderful players already, and with a couple of bits of glue to bring it all together (a top centre half and another decent midfielder), they'll be a top side.
For Blues, they're a long way from being a top side. A hammering was going to come this season, and it has. Despite the magnificent season that Blues have had, they're still not good enough not to get one hammering a season. Blues have been lucky at times, and one team was always going to take a fair few chances and rack up the goals. It happened. Thankfully, it's not a disaster and hopefully it's got that one hammering out of the way in advance of the next away game…
This did show up Blues for what they are though - a team punching above their weight (and they need immense credit for doing so). You take Joe Hart out, and you're hit hard. Imagine a couple of injuries to Barry Ferguson and Roger Johnson? Imagine that Carr and Bowyer's legs finally catch up with them? From a fairly competent lower half of the table side, you'll be looking at a pretty weak side. I've said it once and I'll say it again - this summer is massive to Blues. Next season, unless an awful lot is done, 17th place in the league will have to remain the aim.
It's actually fairly nice that, at the back end of the season, you can suffer a defeat and it doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things - it's not likely to relegate you and it's not going to dent your promotion hopes. Blues aren't often in this position. Here's hoping that enough is done by all concerned in the summer to make sure that this becomes a little more regular.