MANCHESTER, Sept 14: Robinho marked his Manchester City debut with a goal but it was Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea who ran out 3-1 winners in the so-called ‘clash of the cash’ on Saturday.

The Brazilian playmaker couldn’t have scripted a better start to life in the Premier League when he fired City ahead after just 13 minutes against the side he had been expected to join from Real Madrid.

But Scolari’s men quickly dampened the euphoric mood at Eastlands, levelling through Ricardo Carvalho before goals from Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka underlined how far City must go if they are to break into the top four.

The late sending off of John Terry for a foul on Jo blemished Chelsea’s performance and ruled him out of next Sunday’s showdown against Manchester United, but Scolari headed back to London knowing his side had restated their claims in title race.

This was City’s first game since the dramatic events on transfer deadline day when the announcement of a planned takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group was immediately followed by big money bids for a clutch of star players including Robinho and Dimitar Berbatov.—AFP