City 3 - 1 Pompey

• For the second successive match, we were lucky. Yes, we probably deserved the three points but we had all the breaks: Hreidarsson should not have been sent off, Dunne fouled Defoe in the box, the ball ending up with Benjani for Vassell's goal, the deflection for Petrov's etc.

• Our most creative performance since Blackburn at home on 27 December. With better finishing from Vassell and Benjani we could have scored five or more. The return to 4-2-3-1, with two wingers and a trequartista, so successful earlier on in the season, worked extremely well today. Or at least, the three players (Petrov, Ireland, Vassell) each had their best games for months. In Ireland's case, I don't remember seeing him have a better game for City.

• The fans' treatment of Distin was a disgrace. He was a great servant of the club: five seasons over which he was consistently one of our best players. Played over 200 matches for us in all competitions (even more than Nicky Weaver!) - only Dunne has played more times of those currently in football. He was a good club captain for a few years. He ought to be remembered as one our players of the 2000s. And I don't think the circumstances of his leaving are particularly dishonourable. The fact is that when he left he was right to say that we were a club going nowhere. After years of service he is entitled to a new start. And the hypocrisy is terrible. I was at the 0-0 draw at Fratton Park in November, and some fans were singing at him: "You money grabbing bastard". As if increased wages played no role in the signings of Elano or Petrov! Shame on those who booed him today.

• I remember Sven's England team being unable to defend one goal leads. Sweden 2002, Brazil 2002, France 2004, Portugal 2004, Sweden 2006: he could never quite choose between consolidation and going for the kill. I think this City team are actually quite good at it though - with the exception of one ten minute spell in the second half. Given our back four after Dunne came off, we did very well to limit Portsmouth to those few chances.

• 55 points makes it our best ever 38 game season. The next symbolic targets are 57 (highest Premier League finish, in 1992/93 42 match season) and even 60. Browsing through previous Premier League tables, mid to high fifties tends to be sufficient for European qualification through the league, which ought to give us confidence.

• Was Thaksin there? I didn't see Sky Sports cameras show him, but I may not have been paying attention. Today's performance, and the vocal backing for Sven from the fans ought to be a strong corrective to any notions the chairman has of replacing him. I'm sure SGE will be graceful enough not to make this point in public though.