MAN CITY 3, WEST BROM 0
Manchester City hardly had to break sweat as they stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 15 points.
West Brom, who won 3-2 at Liverpool in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, offered little threat as City made it 100 goals for the season in all competitions.
Goals from Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero completed a stroll as City recorded a 13th straight win against the Baggies since 2012.
The only dampener for City was the loss of David Silva as their injury list continues to lengthen.
And substitute Brahim Diaz was fortunate to escape serious injury after a terrible two-footed challenge from Matt Phillips who was lucky to escape with a yellow card.
City manager Pep Guardiola was delighted with his team, saying: “I am so happy as it was one of our best performances of the season, but it was an 8-0 or 7-1.
“In knockout games and against the top teams we need to improve and be more clinical or we will be in trouble.”
Guardiola refused to elaborate too much on the tackle on Diaz.
He explained: “I spoke to Kevin (Friend, fourth official) but they are the bosses and we have to accept.
“We were lucky today and the image speaks for itself. I repeat what I said before it is not necessary.”
City handed new £57 million signing Aymeric Laporte a debut.
The Athletic Bilbao centre-back and French U21 international took over from Vincent Kompany, one of five changes from the side that won at Cardiff City on Sunday in the Emirates FA Cup.
Ederson Moraes, Oleksandr Zinchenko, David Silva and Aguero returned as Claudio Bravo, Danilo, Ilkay Gundogan and the injured Leroy Sane stood down. John Stones, on the bench at Cardiff, was absent through illness.
The Baggies, buoyed by their FA Cup win at Liverpool, had new loan signing Daniel Sturridge on the bench.
Guardiola was incensed that City weren’t awarded an eighth minute penalty for Craig Dawson’s challenge on Silva.
De Bruyne forced the first save of the game from Ben Foster who dived low to his left to keep out a shot from distance after quarter of an hour.
The breakthrough came in the 19th minute when De Bruyne split the Baggies’ defence with an inch-perfect through ball for Fernandinho to slot home a low shot through the legs of Foster from eight yards for his third goal of the season.
De Bruyne burst through and was denied by the legs of Foster as City searched for a second goal as they dominated possession in the opening half hour.
The Belgium was having a great game and a drive from distance clipped the top of the crossbar. Next he forced an acrobatic save from Foster as it remained one-way traffic.
Silva was forced off after 39 minutes after taking a whack to his kidneys. He had received treatment minutes earlier, but was unable to continue for much longer as he was replaced by Gundogan.
The opening half was completely one sided as the Baggies did not manage a single goal attempt.
City began the second half in a similar vein as Sterling curled a shot narrowly wide of the far upright.
Aguero nearly scored one of the cheekiest goals of the season, a back heel that forced a decent save from Foster, sparking a remark that it was developing into little more than a training game.
Foster then pulled off a great one-handed save to deny Bernardo Silva as a second goal remained elusive.
Zinchenko then got into the act with a drive that flashed just wide of the upright from 20-odd yards.
City finally scored their second with 21 minutes left when De Bruyne scored a richly deserved effort. He began the move with a surging run before releasing Sterling on the left and then running on to the return ball to slot home from eight yards, his 11th of the season and City’s 100th of the campaign.
De Bruyne then tried an audacious lob from 40 yards that the back pedalling Foster did well to turn over.
City made their second change with 13 minutes left when De Bruyne made way for Brahim Diaz.
And the young winger almost found the net after being set up by Sterling, but Foster made an important save with his legs.
Baggies had their first goal attempt of the game in the 88th minute, but Sturridge fired into the side netting.
City added a third goal in the last minute with a sweet finish from Aguero after being released by Sterling, his 24th of the season.
Matt Phillips forced a first save of the game from Ederson in stoppage time as they sought a consolation goal.