Manchester City sent out a warning to championship rivals Chelsea by hammering Newcastle United 5-0 to move to within five points of the Premier League leaders.
Chelsea slipped up in drawing 1-1 at home to Burnley this afternoon and City responded with a performance proving that they remain intent on defending their title.
Vurnon Anita's first-minute mistake exposed the Magpies to a rampant City start and Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko added to Sergio Aguero's penalty to put them three up after 21 minutes.
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A brace from David Silva quickly gave Manuel Pellegrini a healthy-enough cushion that he could rest players ahead of the Champions League match against Barcelona in midweek.
Dzeko, preferred in the team to £26m substitute Wilfried Bony, who was made to wait for his Citizens debut after coming back from the Africa Cup of Nations, won the hosts their spot kick by pouncing on Anita's poor control and going down in the box after clashing knees with the Dutchman.
Aguero took the penalty, rather than City's other returning Ivorian Yaya Toure, and prevailed in a battle of minds with Tim Krul to roll the ball into the bottom corner after less than 90 seconds at the Etihad Stadium.
It was not long until City were two up, with Dzeko again playing his part. His cross into the box deflected to Nasri, who calmly danced through a couple of diving defenders to lift the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
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Both of City's strikers went close before Dzeko got his name on the scoresheet to complete a fine first-half display. Silva's perfectly-weighted lofted pass was controlled by the Bosnian and he poked confidently past Krul for his first club goal since September, after ghosting in behind Massadio Haidara.
The visitors had not previously lost since John Carver's appointment as interim manager until the end of the season and started the second half brightly, with Papiss Cisse stinging Joe Hart's hands with a skilful volley.
However, normal service was resumed on 51 minutes as City produced a fine team move to score four in successive games, and three times in a row at home to Newcastle in the league.
It started with Aguero turning briskly on the halfway line to run at the Newcastle defence and lay the ball on for Nasri, who teed up Silva from the right edge of the area for the Spaniard to tuck calmly inside the right post.
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Silva marked his 150th Premier League appearance with a second two minutes later, striking instinctively into the opposite corner from 25 yards after Aguero's attempted chest control had rolled invitingly into his path.
All three men involved in City's second-half goals were hooked with Barcelona's visit in mind, but the hosts continued to create a hatful of chances and only good work from Krul kept Newcastle from total humiliation.
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Bony was one of those brought off the bench and he had a great chance to celebrate his City bow with a goal when Toure's delicate pass sent him clear through the middle, only for Krul to recover from his own poor kick and save with his legs.
Dzeko and Kolarov were among those also denied by the Magpies goalkeeper in the final 20 minutes, but even his exploits could not rub the gloss off an imperious City display which could have Jose Mourinho worried.
Joe Fish
