DOWN THE YEARS, THEY HAVE witnessed more than their share of false dawns at Manchester City, but, as darkness fell over Eastlands on Saturday, there were some claiming to have seen evidence of a blue moon rising. Second behind Chelsea and unbeaten in 12 Barclays Premiership matches dating back to last March, City will go into the derby against Manchester United on September 10 in the giddy position of looking down on their neighbours. What a difference a change of manager makes.

Stuart Pearce talked in his programme notes on Saturday of “an increasing sense of self- belief at this club” and it is one that can be almost entirely attributed to his influence. Under Kevin Keegan, City had a knack of surrendering leads, but, since Pearce took the reins last March, they have discovered the art of coming from behind to win — reflecting the soaring levels of fitness and confidence in a team that conspicuously lacked both in the depressing final months of the Keegan regime.

Portsmouth may have felt going into the closing stages that they had done enough to win the game after John Viáfara gave them the lead, but City stepped up their efforts and were rewarded with two goals in three minutes from Claudio Reyna and Andrew Cole.

The goalscorers encapsulate the change since Pearce took charge. Reyna, inert under Keegan, is looking like the box-to-box midfield player he was at Fulham, while the notoriously sullen Cole has a smile on his face. “That’s the first time Cole’s shown any warmth to me in 20 years,” Pearce said after the forward celebrated his match-winning goal in the 69th minute by running to embrace his manager.

Cole’s goal, a characteristic turn and shoot that deflected in off Andy O’Brien, was slightly cruel to Portsmouth, who seemed to have turned this into a fine away performance after a poor start. Viáfara’s 52nd-minute goal, after he escaped Joey Barton to head home from Laurent Robert’s free kick, was a reward for some impressive counter-attacking, but Reyna pounced on a spillage by Sander Westerveld to make it 1-1 midway through the second half and three minutes later City were on course for a third consecutive victory.

Alain Perrin, the Portsmouth manager, insists these are early days for his team and that they will be strengthened by the arrival of two players — possibly including Fabrizio Miccoli, the Juventus forward — before the transfer window closes on Wednesday. Pearce also expects “one or two new faces” to arrive before the deadline. To judge from a smiling Cole, they will be happy with what they find.