- Holders score all seven goals in the second half
- Lampard takes tally to three goals in four days
- Home side's first win since 25 August
- Spanish teenager Pozo nets debut goal
Holders Manchester City produced a ruthless second-half display to start their Capital One Cup defence with a thumping win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Frank Lampard tucked in James Milner's cross soon after the restart before Edin Dzeko swept in a pass from Jesus Navas, who added a ferocious drive.Yaya Toure converted a penalty after Lampard was tripped by Kamil Zayatte.He was sent off as Dzeko's header, Jose Angel Pozo's debut goal and another Lampard strike sank the Owls' 10 men.Few would have predicted a seven-goal scoreline at the break after Championship side Wednesday held their own in a tight first half.
Premier League champions City put on a sluggish first-half display, but were a completely different proposition after the break as they swept aside the unfortunate visitors.
Once ex-England midfielder Lampard converted at the near post, City's hopes of a morale-boosting win never looked in doubt.
Draws against Arsenal and Chelsea, punctured by defeats against Stoke and Bayern Munich, have seen Manuel Pellegrini's side stutter in recent weeks.
So the home tie against the Yorkshire side presented the opportunity to restore some belief - which they duly achieved.
Many top-flight sides field weakened teams in the early rounds of the League Cup, b
ut Pellegrini named a strong starting XI as City searched for their first win since beating Liverpool on 25 August.
Toure captained a side packed with internationals, including the likes of Lampard, Dzeko, Navas and Milner, who impressed again with his energy and quality in the final third.
The Owls are sixth in the Championship after losing only one of their opening 10 matches in all competitions and played with an air of confidence in the first half.
They were not afraid to commit players forward when they sensed the opportunity but were unable to seriously test home keeper Willy Caballero.
And that proved costly as City scored three goals in seven minutes after the restart to put the game beyond them.
Lampard opened the scoring with a timely arrival at the near post before Dzeko lost his marker to collect Navas's cross and drill into the far corner.
That was the Bosnian's 10th goal in 11 League Cup games and was quickly followed by Navas's thumping finish from inside the Owls area.
Zayatte was dismissed after he clumsily felled Lampard in the penalty area, with Toure finding the bottom corner with the spot-kick.
With the game won, Pellegrini introduced 18-year-old Spanish striker Pozo, who arrived from Real Madrid's academy two years ago.But City refused to take any mercy on Wednesday's depleted side.
Dzeko netted his second with a towering header from left-back Aleksandar Kolarov's perfect cross, before Pozo slotted in another Navas pass.
And Lampard netted his third goal in four days, after equalising against former club Chelsea on Sunday, to send City into the last 16.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (2) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
Manchester City
13 Caballero
03 Sagna
11 Kolarov
20 Mangala Booked
26 Demichelis
25 Fernandinho (Boyata - 70' )
18 Lampard
42 Y Toure (Pozo - 64' )
07 Milner (Sinclair - 73' )
15 Jesus Navas
10 Dzeko
Substitutes
01 Hart
04 Kompany
12 Sinclair
22 Clichy
38 Boyata
75 Bytyqi
78 Pozo
Sheffield Wednesday
43 Kirkland
18 Zayatte Dismissed
02 Buxton
03 Mattock
15 Lees
19 Maghoma
10 Maguire
07 May
08 Palmer (Helan - 70' )
14 Coke (Dielna - 61' )
24 Madine (Nuhiu - 61' )
Substitutes
01 Westwood
06 Semedo
09 Nuhiu
11 Drenthe
17 Helan
28 Hope
35 Dielna
Ref: Paul Tierney
Att: 32,346
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