MAN CITY 4, AFC BOURNEMOUTH 0
Four goals, four different goalscorers underlined another complete performance Pep Guardiola made it eight wins out of eight as Manchester City manager as the club made it their best-ever start to a season.
While it proved another routine win, there was nothing routine about the football as City again constructed some sublime moves against AFC Bournemouth in their 250th Premier League game at the Etihad.
Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogen put the cap on a polished performance as City oozed class.
After beating the Cherries 5-1 and 4-0 last season, City certainly have found the measure of the Cherries who would have lost by a wider margin but for the goalkeeping of Artur Boruc.
And the only blot was Nolito’s needless late sending off for a head butt as the Spaniard will not serve a three-match ban for violent conduct.
Guardiola did not pay too much attention to the record saying: “Numbers are numbers and one record is for another manager to beat.
“It was important to win game after playing in the Champions League three days ago. It is always tough to play after the Champions League which is so demanding in terms of physical condition and in the head. It is not easy.”
Guardiola added the performance was better than against Borussia Monchengladbach.
But he refused to get carried away adding: “We have won a lot of games, including five in the Premier League and people are saying nice words.
“I know we are going to lose game, but we are stable now. I still know there are lots of things we can do better.”
There was also praise for De Bruyne describing him as a “special player” and one of the best in the world.
“Without the ball he fights and with it he knows what to do every time. He is a player on another level, and we are lucky to have him,” he said.
Guardiola accepted the decision of referee Jon Moss to send off Nolito.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe described it as a “difficult day”.
“The plan was not to play so deep, but we were trapped with nowhere to go. Fair play to City, they were too good for us,” he said.
City made four changes from the side that started Wednesday’s Champions League game against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Sergio Aguero continued his domestic ban while John Stones, Pablo Zabaleta and Jesus Navas stood down. They were replaced by Bacary Sagna, Nolito, Gael Clichy and Iheanacho.
De Bruyne could have given City the lead inside 10 seconds when he forced a decent save from Artur Boruc who beat out his shot.
But the deadlock was broken after 15 minutes after Jack Wilshere fouled Nolito on the edge of the box.
De Bruyne’s free kick went under the defensive wall as the players jumped leaving Boruc rooted to the spot.
And City could have gone two ahead moments later when Nolito exchanged passes with De Bruyne and forced another important stop from Boruc.
City doubled their lead after 25 minutes following a magnificent counter attack involving Iheanacho, Nolito, De Bruyne and Sterling whose crossed from the right for Iheanacho to bundle in a far-post shot from six yards.
Boruc prevented City extending their lead with two excellent stops in quick succession to deny Aleksandar Kolarov and Sterling as they were in total command.
City picked up where they left off making it 3-0 early in the second half after another lethal counter attack.
De Bruyne broke and released Iheanacho on the left and he squared the ball to Sterling to score from inside the six-yard box, though the winger did his best not to fund the net as his miscued shot only just crossed the line before it was cleared.
Stone replaced Nicolas Otamendi eight minutes into the second half in a straight swop in the centre of defence.
City keeper Claudio Bravo was forced into a rare save diving to his right to keep out a shot from half-time substitute Callum Wilson.
Sterling was denied a second goal by the upright in what would have been one of the goals of the season.
He picked up the ball on the right wing and ghosted past five Bournemouth players before firing an angled shot from the left that struck the frame of the goal.
Soon it was 4-0 after another terrific constructed goal that ended with De Bruyne releasing Gundogan who had acres of space before firing home a shot from just inside the box.
City made their second change after 72 minutes when Gundogan was replaced by Leroy Sane. And that was soon followed by Aleix Garcia being handed a Premier League debut as De Bruyne was given a well-earned rest.
The Cherries kept plugging away and Wilson struck the crossbar with a shot while Harry Arter fired narrowly wide as they looked for a consolation.
The only blot for City was Nolito’s 86th minute sending off. After being fouled by Adam Smith, the pair squared up to one another with the Spaniard dismissed for a head butt. Smith was given a yellow card.