The rain couldn't dampen Sheikh Mansour's mood as he watched his latest investment double his efforts for City
It was the perfect introduction for the richest man in the ground and probably England, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan.
There were no interviews from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, so we can only guess about what he was thinking, but it would not be unreasonable to assume that, like so many people at their first game of football in England, the sense of occasion, all those different noises, the tribalism, blue versus red, Manchester versus Liverpool must have invigorated his senses.
He certainly chose a good night to make his first appearance at Eastlands since that seminal day, almost two years ago, when he parted with a few droplets of his oil riches to buy out Thaksin Shinawatra.
There was a good vibe at Eastlands; a genuine sense that maybe the most powerful spenders in English football were not getting too far ahead of themselves to emblazon the words "This is gonna be our season" (in telltale blue) over Manchester's city centre buses.
James Milner had an excellent debut, Adam Johnson put in maybe his best performance since joining the club and it could not be said Carlos Tevez's second-half goals flattered Manchester City. Roberto Mancini's team played with width and penetration and, once they had sensed Liverpool's vulnerabilities (of which there were many), they set about exposing them, not once afflicted by the kind of self-anxiety we have been accustomed to seeing on this ground.
How much the sheikh knows about football remains unclear, and it would be a brave man to try to get past the entourage of bodyguards, with their dark glasses and walkie-talkies, to pose the question. What he will know for certain now, though, is that the stories about Manchester's weather are true and that his money has brought a feeling of positivity to the stadium Stuart Pearce, from an already distant past, once described as having the acoustics of a library.
"Manchester Thanks You, Sheikh Mansour" is the banner, written in English and Arabic, on the opposite side to where the representative of Abu Dhabi's royal family was sat – handsome, in a sharp suit, looking every bit the young Al Pacino – in one of the thermostatically controlled leather seats high in the Colin Bell stand. There is not a decibel meter inside Eastlands, so it is difficult to measure the appreciation when he appeared on the giant screen to offer a polite wave, but it was certainly louder and more prolonged than the ovation reserved for Milner's introduction – and that was fairly voluble itself.
Milner began in the role that might have been assigned for Mario Balotelli had the Italian not been forced out with a knee injury, playing on his "wrong" side: a right-footed player drifting in from the left, with the scope to roam. It is an unorthodox but increasingly fashionable tactic, one that Bayern Munich and Holland use successfully with Arjen Robben, a left-footed player on the right.
This role was filled by Adam Johnson and the two wide men were integral to the periods when City were notably the better side and it was not long before Milner had demonstrated he is a prolific creator of chances.
James Milner worked his socks off on his Manchester City debut and created the first goal for Gareth Barry. Photograph: Richard Sellers-Sportsphoto
At Aston Villa last season, Milner not only scored seven times from midfield but played the telling pass for 12 goals. There is no question he is over-priced, coming in a £26m player-plus-cash exchange with Stephen Ireland, but these are exceptional statistics, and there were none of the first-day nerves that might have been anticipated of a player with a price tag that could weigh down a less confident player like a bag of cement. Milner was quick to the ball, hard running, always trying to make himself available, and when he had possession he generally made good use of it – never more so than the low, precise cutback for Gareth Barry to expose Liverpool's brittle defence.
The beauty of this goal was actually one pass before, when Adam Johnson slipped the ball through Milan Jovanovic's legs, but Milner's part justified his inclusion ahead of David Silva.
High in the crowd, the sheikh was on his feet, celebrating in the way that royals do: clapping and smiling, rather than punching the air and bellowing.
He may not fully comprehend that Liverpool were far more obliging opponents than usual, and it would be wrong of him to assume that just because Fernando Torres was so ineffectual it scarcely matters that the Spaniard could not be coaxed away from Liverpool.
But, equally, he may not even care. This was a brutal night for Liverpool but, for the richest man in the ground (and probably England, on this one occasion), it was the perfect introduction.
