Manchester City brushed aside Bournemouth 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon to return to winning ways in the Premier League.
The Citizens were three goals to the good inside the opening quarter of the match, as a side boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne ran riot against their below-par opponents.
Aleksandar Kolarov came off the bench to round things off and help earn City just a third win in eight - keeping them in fourth place and now three points clear of their closest challengers.
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The visitors were up and running just seven minutes in thanks to a fine individual strike by Fernando, who got on the end of Jesus Navas's corner which skidded through to the Brazilian 12 yards out.
City supporters did not have to wait too much longer for a second in the south coast sunshine, either, as De Bruyne - back after two months out - rounded off a fluid one-touch move by simply passing the ball into the back of the net.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero were involved in that attacking play, and it was the latter who essentially sealed the points 19 minutes in when nodding the ball across Artur Boruc at the back post when picked out by Navas.
That third goal forced Eddie Howe into action, with Joshua King dropping into a five-man midfield to match City, and the move appeared to pay off as the Cherries finally wrested back some control of the previously one-sided match.
It could have got even worse for the Cherries, however, after Fernandinho picked up the ball in some space and fired a shot back off the crossbar to let the home side off.
The closest Howe's men came to a consolation prior to the break arrived on the half-hour mark, as Steve Cook met a corner which forced deputy City stopper Willy Caballero into a decent stop from close range.
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Bournemouth, perhaps wary of the five goals conceded in the reverse fixture earlier this season, made a slow start to the second period and had Boruc to thank for keeping out De Bruyne's angled volley.
After a blistering start to the match the second half proved less entertaining, with the next shot of any note not arriving until 20 minutes from time when Eunan O'Kane saw his effort inside the box deflect behind.
Aguero, whose 10 goals this calendar year are unmatched anywhere else in the top flight, could have extended his side's tally for the afternoon but saw his shot kept out by Boruc down low heading into the final stages.
The match continued to peter out for the remainder, yet there was time for Kolarov to add the icing to the cake at the death with a bullet strike into the top corner to round off a day to remember for City.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still yet to confirm their top-flight status for a second season following successive 3-0 defeats either side of the international break.
Daniel Lewis
