Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as free-scoring Manchester City climbed to the top of the Premier League with a 6-0 victory against Watford.
Sergio Aguero of Man City celebrates. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Aguero opened the scoring in the 27th minute, heading home Kevin de Bruyne's superb free-kick and doubled the lead within four minutes when he converted David Silva's teasing cross from close range.
City were in exuberant mood and added a third before the break when the excellent Gabriel Jesus latched on to Aguero's cute pass to stroke home in the 38th minute.
After Nicolas Otamendi headed in a fourth in the 63rd minute, Aguero completed his treble with a neat finish at the end of a sensational run.
Raheem Sterling added a sixth from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Christian Kabasele late on.
Agueros hat-trick left manager Pep Guardiola beaming and he praised the striker.
"Aguero's numbers speak for themselves - he is amazing," Guardiola told the BBC.
"I am especially happy for his third goal because he was so clever and fast in the box and has the power to beat one or two players and score. I am so happy for him because we need him and his goals.
"It's important for us that both our strikers are scoring goals. When Gabriel (Jesus) came last season we cannot forget he had just seven or eight games because he was injured immediately.
"We scored a lack of goals last season so we thought that maybe they should play together because Gabriel, when he came, was also striker."
City have 13 points from five games - three more than rivals Manchester United who play Everton on Sunday but City now have a superior goal difference on their Manchester rivals.
While City went on a rampage Burnley were once again the bane of the big clubs.
This time Liverpool were their victim, as they held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at Anfield, after holding Spurs and beating Chelsea earlier in the season.
Burnley took the lead through a Scott Arfield strike in the 27th minute but it was soon cancelled out by a Mohamed Salah strike three minutes later and from there neither team could break the deadlock.
Aaron Mooy's Huddersfield team held on for a 1-1 draw against Leicester City to be fifth on eight points but should have gone behind late in the game if not for a complete whiff from Foxes striker Jamie Vardy.
Vardy somehow managed to miss an open goal following a counter-attack led by winger Riyad Mahrez - Mahrez whipped his cross in and Vardy, two yards out, and with an open goal in front of him missed the ball.
He earlier got the equaliser by netting an emphatic penalty.
In the early game Crystal Palace failed to benefit from the Roy Hodgson effect as Steven Davis's early goal and two saves by Fraser Forster helped Southampton beat the Premier League's bottom club 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
In other results promoted Newcastle beat Stoke 2-1 thanks to goals from Christian Atsu and Jamaal Lascelles, while Xherdan Shaqiri scored for Stoke.
West Ham and West Bromwich Albion played out a scoreless draw as did Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea at Wembley.
Try as they might Spurs simply couldn't burst the net despite having 26 shots to Swansea's four and enjoying 75 per cent of the possession.
-Reuters
