Manchester City have set a new Premier League record for consecutive wins, claiming their 15th in a 4-0 win over Swansea City.
David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero scored the goals as the champions-elect eased their way past a Swansea side that remains bottom of the table.
The previous record was held by Arsenal for 14 consecutive wins between February and August 2002.
Bright start
Manchester City started the game in their typical 4-3-3 shape, but this time it was De Bruyne playing wide right as the two Silvas operated centrally. Raheem Sterling wide left and Aguero up front.
Lukasz Fabianski was called into action early, as the Polish goalkeeper was forced into an outstanding save in the seventh minute after Fernandinho struck a volley from the edge of the box through a crowd of players.
Swansea then had an early shot on target. Jordan Ayew provided a collector’s item as he hit Manchester City on the counter before firing an effort that Ederson was just about able to bat away.
Nicolas Otamendi then had a chance – the Premier League’s highest scoring defender this season – after Fabianski missed a cross, but the centre-back leathered his shot over the bar as Swansea’s defence stood firm.
Deadlock opened
That firm defence collapsed shortly after, as the two Silvas combined to open the scoring after D. Silva had acres of space inside the six-yard area to tuck the ball past Fabianski.
Swansea manager Paul Clement was furious as the goal went in, as neither Mike van der Hoorn or Kyle Naughton picked up D. Silva as the Spaniard cleverly finished with a backheel.
After the deadlock was opened, the floodlights were nearly next as shortly after the goal, Fabianski was called into action again. Aguero drove through the midfield and stuck the ball well but the 32-year-old ‘keeper was equal to it.
Clement has spoken previously about Swansea’s inability to react well after going a goal down, and the same was on the cards as Manchester City went from strength to strength.
Manchester City dominating
D. Silva evaded the Swansea defence for the opening goal, but it was the ball that evaded that same defence for the second as De Bruyne’s free-kick went through everyone and landed in the back of the net.
Swansea contained the away side’s attack quite well, but the first two goals both came from poor defensive work, something that has not been a staple of Clement’s side this season.
If you make two mistakes against his Manchester City side, they’re going to score two goals.
Second half continued in the same vein
Manchester City waited just 45 seconds after the restart for D. Silva to combine well with the away side’s plethora of forwards before sending a shot just the wrong side of the post.
Swansea brought Tammy Abraham on for Tom Carroll during the break in an attempt to give Wilfried Bony some support, but that just allowed the away side to dominate the midfield even more.
After combining with Sterling on the left, D. Silva scored his second and City’s third of the night. He raced onto Sterling’s pass before lobbing the ball over Fabianski.
Despite Manchester City’s dominance on the ball, they were equally as impressive off of it. Every time Swansea were in possession they were hounded, and often Swansea’s best spells of possession would end with Fabianski kicking the ball out for a throw-in.
Dominance
With an hour gone, the game was all but won as Aguero fired wide after a sequence of approximately 50 passes. The away side asserted their dominance even more as they cruised through the final third of the game.
Ederson did extremely well to get in position to save Roque Mesa’s deflected effort. Swansea had slightly more possession as they wanted to add a blemish to Manchester City’s perfect night, but couldn’t turn that possession into chances.
Aguero then got in on the act with five minutes to go, scoring City's fourth goal of the evening as he breezed past Alfie Mawson and fired a shot past Fabianski.
This game was a potential banana skin for the Citizens, coming in with a day less rest than their opposition who were off the back of a good win against West Brom. They may have even had an eye on Saturday’s fixture with Tottenham Hotspur but Pep Guardiola’s side made light work of the task at hand this evening.
Manchester City have now won all nine of their away games this season, and still have dropped just two points all campaign as they edge closer to the Premier League title.