West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2: Eriksson purrs as City slickers click instantly to nail Hammers

In those words we came to love, and expect, from Sven-Goran Eriksson in his England days, it was a case of: first half good; second half not so good.

But no matter. It was a convincing enough victory on his debut as an England club manager and will have swiftly assuaged doubts, both over the Swede's appointment and over his wholesale import of foreign talent on judgement apparently made largely on the basis of videos. At the end, having witnessed an early goal from Rolando Bianchi and a late confirmation of triumph from Geovanni, he applauded the visiting supporters, and congratulated his players. Or perhaps, it could be mischeviously concluded, he was introducing himself to them?

So, let's clear that one up. "It can only be stupid people who say I sign players I don't know anything about," the Swede scoffed. "I may not have seen them playing, but I have a whole scouting system at the club to help me and as many videos as I need to watch." He added: "I always thought I had signed good players. That's for sure."

City's inclusion of nine nationalities had been much-derided. Yet any lack of communication between the players could not prevent City securing a first-half lead through the impressive spearhead of City's attack, the Italian Rolando Bianchi, and maintaining it with such comfort that it had the home manager, Alan Curbishley, lambasting his men: "The crowd's in full throttle and we gave them nothing. We started off poor and got worse."

For the Hammers faithful, it was déjà vu. The home side lacked guile and their new acquisitions, Freddie Ljungberg and Craig Bellamy, offered scant cause for optimism. The outpouring of emotion as their team had taken the field contained a measure of relief, although they are acutely aware that the rest of English football would like nothing more than relegation for the club which should have been condemned to that fate last season over the Carlos Tevez affair. A continuation of this kind of form will ensure that those who desire that will get their wish. They desperately miss Tevez and initially deprived of Dean Ashton, fit but on the bench again after breaking an ankle with England, rarely troubled the 20-year-old Kasper Schmeichel as the son of Manchester United's Great Dane made his debut by deputising for the injured Andreas Isaksson.

Eriksson named five of his new outfield signings in the Manchester City starting line-up – Rolando Bianchi, Elano, Martin Petrov, Vedran Corluka, and Javier Garrido – at an aggregate cost of just over £30m. Much had been anticipated from Bianchi, who had prospered with 18 goals in Serie A last season. And that £8.8m investment quickly produced dividends. Elano, the £8m Brazilian, signed from Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, crossed and Bianchi to slid the ball in at the far post.

After the interval, the Hammers seized the initiative and the introduction of Matthew Etherington on the left appeared likely to produce reward, but too many final balls were played on to the heads of Richard Dunne and the England man Micah Richards, deployed here at centre-back. Bobby Zamora and Etherington combined to give Ljungberg West Ham's best chance, but he failed to connect.

Ashton made his entrance after 54 minutes. But his only chance, a vicious volley from an Etherington cross, flew wide. Both he and the watching England manager, Steve McClaren, were left disappointed. Indeed, it was City who finished the stronger. Two substitutes combined to put the game beyond West Ham, with Geovanni applying the coup de grace after a pass from Nedum Onuoha. The Brazilian was only denied a late third by Green.

Eriksson confessed that he had been "positively surprised", though whether by the win or the approval of at least part of the crowd is not certain. The last occasion the Swede was at this ground in a coaching capacity, it was to mastermind England's ignominious friendly defeat by Australia.

Watch Sven's men in the Manchester derby, 1.30pm kick-off next Sunday, Sky Sports