Sergio Aguero scored on his 300th appearance for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola's side bounced back from their midweek Champions League disappointment with a resounding 5-0 win at Cardiff City.
2018/2019 Premier League
0-5
Match Events
25' SO CLOSE! It's almost an own goal that puts Man City ahead
Sane's cross deflects off Peltier onto team-mate Manga, but the duo sigh with relief as the ball goes over the bar for a corner.
32' GOAL! Cardiff City 0-1 Man City (Aguero)
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 1. Sergio Agüero right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
35' GOAL! Cardiff City 0-2 Man City (Bernardo Silva)
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 2. Bernardo Silva header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Leroy Sané with a cross following a corner.
44' GOAL! Cardiff City 0-3 Man City (Gundogan)
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 3. Ilkay Gündogan right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
67' GOAL! Cardiff City 0-4 Man City (Mahrez)
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 4. Riyad Mahrez left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.
80' SHOT! Sterling's free kick saved
Free-kick from a slight angle and it's Sterling who wants it. His effort takes a slight deflection and Etheridge opts to punch it away for a corner.
89' GOAL! Cardiff City 0-5 Man City (Mahrez)
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 5. Manga initially does well to intercept Sterling, but then he passes it straight to Marehz, who carries it across the box before curling a low effort into the bottom corner.
Match Report
The club's all-time leading goalscorer, who signed a contract extension this week that will keep him at the club until 2021, opened the scoring after 32 minutes.
So often the star of the show, Aguero shared the spotlight on a rainy afternoon in South Wales with Bernardo Silva, who doubled City's lead three minutes later, and Ilkay Gundogan, who capped a fine performance with a brilliant solo effort.
Substitute Riyad Mahrez scored his first goals for the club with a brace to put the result beyond doubt, and the manner of the victory will have delighted Guardiola after a below-par showing in a 2-1 defeat to Lyon in midweek.
Cool and composed during a scrappy opening half an hour, Gundogan started the move that led to the opener, feeding Silva who squared to Aguero and the striker beat his marker to apply a first-time finish.
Silva got his head underneath Leroy Sane's cross from the right two minutes later and looped the ball up and over Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and in at the far post.
Gundogan was the stand-out player in the first half and he was rewarded with the pick of the goals, playing a one-two with Raheem Sterling before confidently side-footing into the top corner.
Line-ups
Cardiff City XI: L. Peltier, David Junior Hoilett, Bruno Ecuele Manga, Arter, S. Morrison, D. Ward, Greg Cunningham, Neil Etheridge, Bobby Reid, J. Ralls, Camarasa
Subs: B. Murphy, Sol Bamba, J. Bennett, Jazz Richards, Kenneth Zohore, Callum Paterson, Josh Murphy
Manchester City XI: S. Agüero, Fernandinho, F. Delph, N. Otamendi, K. Walker, İ. Gündoğan, R. Sterling, A.Laporte, Ederson Moraes, Sané, Bernardo Silva
Subs: V. Kompany, David Silva, Mahrez, J. Stones, Gabriel Jesus, Foden, Arijanet Muric