Are you not entertained? Having secured a first win in four matches with a workmanlike display against Luton Town on Boxing Day, Bristol City gave their fans something to cheer about against Portsmouth in their final game of 2024.

While some will point to the struggles of the away side this season, Liam Manning's Robins didn't give John Mousinho's team a sniff as they confidently brushed them aside, winning 3-0.

A first-half brace from Anis Mehmeti and Rob Dickie tap-in meant that the Reds had the game all but wrapped up by the time the referee blew his whistle to signal half-time. Yes, City could have further extended their lead had they been a bit more clinical in the second half, but the damage was already done.

For the first time this term, the Robins have registered consecutive wins and while it could be suggested they were fortunate against Luton, they were certainly good value for their three points this time around.

READ MORE: Liam Manning sets 'hungry' Mehmeti challenge to reach 'top' after Bristol City win vs Portsmouth

READ MORE: Lee Johnson on Bristol City 'pandemonium' vs Man United, Mourinho's treat and Guardiola's impact

2024 may not have been the most memorable year in Bristol City's history, but it will now be bookended by two very different games. The year began with a dismal 1-0 defeat to Millwall and ended with Sunday's thrashing of Mousinho's side. A sign of progress perhaps?

Away from that broader view of the last 12 months, here are the main talking points from City's 3-0 win at Ashton Gate on Sunday...

Captain 'Phenomenal' steps up and delivers

Jason Knight himself would have admitted that the Robins' 3-0 defeat to Portsmouth earlier this month was one of his worst displays in City colours. The Ireland international never really got going at Fratton Park and his errors helped Mousinho's side secure the three points on the South Coast just a few weeks ago.

Since then, the skipper has been as unflappable as ever. Against Luton, he was combative and integral to the win, but against Pompey, he was incredible. Every time the ball broke loose, the 23-year-old appeared from nowhere to not only pick it up but kickstart a City attack with a driving run or incisive pass.

No player completed more tackles than the midfielder's six and no one more duels than Knight's 14. On top of that, he played 14 passes into the final third and even had an attempt on goal of his own. He may not do the flashy stuff that the likes of Max Bird and Scott Twine excel at, but he is the beating heart of this team and his manager knows it.

"He's phenomenal," Manning admitted post-match. "You see him in the last five, 10 minutes and he's still counterpressing and still driving the team up the pitch.

"It's something I'll never take lightly, appointing someone as the captain but I knew in terms of him, how he role models everything you'd want as a professional and how he's a role model on the pitch, that's the biggest bit. I've seen him massively mature in terms of his game understanding, how he leads and again, I think he's only going to continue to get better."

If anyone was doubting Knight's position as captain after the 3-0 loss to Portsmouth just a few weeks ago, they won't be after Sunday afternoon. City have a very special talent on their hands and while he may not be the most eye-catching or exciting to watch, he is one of the most important.

If the Robins are to have a successful second half of the season, keeping Knight fit and available is going to be a necessity. He's played every minute of Championship football so far this term and it isn't an exaggeration to suggest that he is irreplaceable. His partnership with Bird is as good as any we've seen at Ashton Gate this term.

Season first secured

Anyone who has read these pieces since I began this job in November will have likely grown tired of me pointing out Bristol City's lack of back-to-back wins over the last two months. Fortunately, I will have to change my tune after this weekend's win as the Reds finally secured that elusive consecutive win.

It's something that has arguably been a far bigger deal for fans than it has been for the players and Manning. Zak Vyner told Bristol Live after the Boxing Day win over Luton that he wasn't even aware that he and his teammates were yet to win two matches on the bounce this term. Similarly, the City boss insisted after beating Portsmouth it hadn't been a concern for him.

"It's not something we've spoken about, to be honest," Manning explained. "That's the challenge of Championship football, how do you just focus on the next game, then the next game, then the next game and the next game?

"One week ago we played West Brom where the feeling around everybody was a little bit different right? The skill is, it has to hurt, you have to enjoy today but it's about how you keep in that even state because the next one is coming three days later."

It may not be a major worry in the Robins' changing room, but getting that monkey off of their back can only be a good thing for City ahead of the remainder of the season. Runs bring you success in the second tier, especially when the games are coming thick and fast as they do over the festive period. With consecutive wins now ticked off, this team are in a position to take the next step and put together a run of three, four, five or even six wins on the trot.

While those sorts of runs of form don't come around all too often, it is going to be what is required to make a genuine charge for the top six. That starts on the first day of 2025 against Plymouth.

Goals from different sources

So much of the focus in the first half of the season has been on both Fally Mayulu and Sinclair Armstrong, with both forwards struggling to hit the ground running in Bristol City colours. After the November international break, the Reds went through a bit of a barren period in front of goal and rightly or wrongly, much of the blame was laid at the feet of both summer signings.

Of course, the Robins would have hoped that both young forwards would have had a better start at Ashton Gate than they have done, but it isn't the job of the strikers alone to find the back of the net. As Manning has said in the past, he wants every outfield player in his side to carry a threat in the final third.

Luckily for the 39-year-old, one of last season's most prolific scorers, Dickie, has finally managed to open his account for the campaign. It was by no means a difficult finish for the former QPR defender, but it will have done him a world of good to get off the mark.

11 different players have now got on the scoresheet for City in the Championship this term following Dickie's strike. If the likes of him Luke McNally, Knight and Bird can continue to find the net occasionally while Mehmeti and Wells continue their good form in the final third, it should make Armstrong and Mayulu's job easier if and when they are next given their chance to lead the line.

This team quite clearly doesn't have a 20-goal-a-season forward in its ranks at this moment in time. It could well prove to be that is what stops them from booking their place in the top six, but the hope will be that there is enough quality elsewhere on the pitch to make up for that.

If Dickie can continue to pop up with the odd goal here or there, while also keeping the ball out of the net at the other end, it will be yet another string to the Robins' bow.

What a difference a week makes

As the City head coach himself admitted post-match, it was only a week ago that the players and supporters alike were voicing their frustration following the Robins' miserable defeat against West Brom at The Hawthorns.

That game, and some of the comments after it, were enough for some fans to call for a change in the dugout. As football fans, we all have short memories and though there will still be some unhappy with the head coach, Sunday showed exactly why Manning is in the position that he is.

When his team play like that, they're not only a joy to watch but they're also incredibly hard to stop. We've seen them cut through Millwall, Preston, Plymouth and now Portsmouth with ease already this season. While it has been inconsistent, for the most part, it has been entertaining.

It does feel as though a lot of the fans inside Ashton Gate realise that and that was evident when late in the second half the crowd could be heard chanting "Liam Manning's Cider Army". If you had told supporters driving home from The Hawthorns eight days ago that they would be doing that in just over a week's time, they wouldn't have believed you.

One win doesn't mean all the Robins' problems are solved. Of course, it doesn't. But it does show that there is something in this project that is worth waiting for. Is it going to be smooth sailing? No, and the manager has admitted as much himself.

"We're halfway through the season and disappointed to have not picked up more points from what the performances have merited, but for me, it doesn't happen instantly," Manning explained. "If you want to be successful, you have to build things and it takes time.

"We've shown huge progress and it's about everyone enjoying today and then getting ready to go again in three days."

Now Bristol City just have to show that they can start 2025 in the same manner they finished 2024.

READ MORE: Report: Electric Bristol City wrap up 2024 in BS3 with Ashton Gate win over Portsmouth

READ MORE: Bristol City player ratings vs Portsmouth: Mehmeti double sees Reds secure back-to-back wins