Sven-Göran Eriksson has spent millions recruiting foreigners from all corners of the globe in an attempt to transform Manchester City’s ailing fortunes, but it was a local lad to whom the former England head coach was indebted last night.

Michael Johnson may be only 19, but the Urmston-born midfield player has already come to the attention of Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, who has been trying hard in recent months to lure him to Anfield, and it is not hard to see why.

Forty-three minutes had elapsed when Johnson produced the kind of wonder goal that the Brazilians in Eriksson’s squad would have been happy to claim. That it brought a welcome 1-0 win over an industrious Derby County side and ended a goal drought of more than 13 hours at home made it all the more special.

City have never started a Premier League season with successive wins, but while it is still very early stages, the tide of optimism that has washed around this fallen giant may not seem so misplaced after all.

Few teams set their stall out at the City of Manchester Stadium last season like Derby did last night, but then few needed to against a team that managed only ten goals at home in the league. With Steve Howard operating as a lone striker and Andy Todd sitting just in front of the defence in a five-man midfield, Derby’s defensive lineup smacked of caution.

Eriksson had taken charge of his first game as City manager only four days earlier and already the face-lift he has given the City squad has appeared to invoke a fear factor in the opposition. Not that Derby started like a team overawed. Stephen Pearson quickly established that he had the beating of Vedran Corluka, who looked exactly what he is — a centre half playing at right back. Twice Pearson eluded the Croat in the early stages but, in the first instance, Micah Richards did just enough to put off Howard as the ball zipped teasingly across the six-yard area.

Kasper Schmeichel was not having the best of times either, so much so that it posed the question whether the gene pool had skipped a generation. While Schmeichel’s father, Peter, the former City and Manchester United goalkeeper, exuded authority, his son was flapping every time the ball came within sight. Schmeichel at least made some amends when thwarting Pearson in the 38th minute, but as City discovered to their cost too often last season, profligacy invariably comes back to haunt you in this league. So it proved five minutes later.

For all Eriksson’s spending on foreigners, he has shown a willingness to give youth its chance and he is being rewarded for it. City fans have become so used to seeing games end goalless here that they would have settled for anything, but Johnson’s strike was something to savour.

Carrying the ball forward from the halfway line, he exchanged a neat one-two with Elano before bending a curling shot beyond Stephen Bywater with the outside of his right foot. The Derby goalkeeper may have been at fault for the two goals conceded against Portsmouth on Saturday but he was blameless on this occasion.

As equally memorable as Johnson’s goal was the sight of Richard Scuadmore, the Premier League chief executive, sitting alongside Thaksin Shinawatra in the directors’ box. Scudamore may have claimed that the Premier League would review its position on Thaksin if the corruption charges levelled at the City owner and former Thai Prime Minister by the unelected military junta that ousted him from office are proven, but the pair chatted away as if the best of friends.

Things were not as comfortable on the pitch for City. Derby may have lacked the quality of their opponents but they more than matched them for endeavour.

Pearson continued to rampage down the left flank and as good as City looked when Martin Petrov, Elano, Stephen Ireland or Johnson were in possession, they were susceptible at the back. As willing as Pearson and Craig Fagan were to support Howard, though, Derby lacked a little spark in the final third.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): K Schmeichel — V Corluka, R Dunne, M Richards, J Garrido — D Hamann, M Johnson — S Ireland, Elano (sub: E Mpenza, 89min), M Petrov (sub: Geovanni, 74) — R Bianchi (sub: V Bojinov, 78). Substitutes not used: J Hart, N Onuoha. Booked: Petrov, Hamann, Johnson.

Derby County (4-1-4-1): S Bywater — T Mears, D Moore, C Davis, A Griffin — A Todd (sub: J McEveley, 77) — C Fagan (sub: R Earnshaw, 70), M Oakley, D Jones (sub: G Teale, 46), S Pearson — S Howard. Substitutes not used: L Price, D Leacock. Booked: Howard.

Referee: L Mason.