Premiership: Manchester City 4 - 1 Birmingham City

In a city where he enjoyed so much success, Steve Bruce suffered what must have been one of the biggest humiliations of his career. The Birmingham manager cut a lonely figure on the touchline as his underachieving side turned in the sort of display that had relegation stamped all over it.

From the moment Darius Vassell came close to opening the scoring after 12 seconds Birmingham put on a display that must have left Bruce feeling ashamed. Vassell brought a good save out of Nico Vaesen, only for David Sommeil to score from the resulting Sun Jihai corner by ramming home from close range. Poor Vaesen must have been wondering if his defenders had gone Christmas shopping so easily were Man City able to break through.

The second came after Trevor Sinclair was allowed to go on an unchallenged 30-yard run before feeding the ball through to Vassell. Vaesen upended him and Joey Barton converted the penalty.

Bruce was not able to make use of all his fit players. He said last week that Emile Heskey was as good as any centre-forward in the country and had a chance of going to the World Cup, but the wife of the former Liverpool striker had given birth earlier in the day and, though he was on the bench, he took no part. Heskey might at least have made things a bit more uncomfortable for City’s underworked defenders.

Bruce tried making changes and David Dunn, sacrificed to make way for Jermaine Pennant, was clearly not happy and had some sharp words for his manager as he left the pitch - and it is unlikely they were the last raised in anger.

The changes, though, had no effect and in the 40th minute from another Sun corner Antoine Sibierski rose unchallenged to glance a header past Vaesen.

It certainly completed a memorable afternoon for the Man City fan who had got married earlier in the day and had been allowed by his wife to attend the first half before traveling to the reception.

He was probably tugging at his starter when City scored their fourth in the 70th minute. Sinclair, full of running and enthusiasm having recovered from his knee injury, crossed and Sibierski nodded the ball into the path of substitute Bradley Wright-Phillips, who had been on the pitch only seconds, and shot home from the edge of the area.

Jiri Jarosik pulled one back before Vaesen was sent off in the last minute when he handled the ball outside the penalty area, his second yellow card after the penalty incident.

The home fans chanted: ‘Brucie, Brucie, what’s the score?’ to the former Manchester United favourite. Many more days like this and he will begin to fear the worst.

Man of the match: Trevor Sinclair - always a threat.