David Silva's first goals at the Etihad Stadium for a year clinched victory for Manchester City and saw them draw level on points with Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Spain star Silva, who had missed eight games with a knee ligament injury, last scored at home in a 6-3 win over Arsenal in December 2013, but solved City's striker crisis with two vital strikes.
With Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic all injured, City boss Manuel Pellegrini deployed midfielder James Milner as an emergency striker, with Silva just off him.
But it was playmaker Silva who came up with the goals that set City on their way to victory, before he made way for Frank Lampard with 20 minutes remaining.
Yaya Toure made it 3-0 with 10 minutes left, on his 150th appearance for City, as Pellegrini's side ran amok in the second-half to seal an ultimately comfortable triumph.
Yet City were unable to plunder a fourth goal, that would have seen them replace Chelsea at the top on goal scored, at least until Monday, when Jose Mourinho's men go to Stoke.
Such was City's dominance even forgotten man Scott Sinclair – remember him - got a late run-out, coming on as a sub in the 87 minute for Samir Nasri to round out an eighth straight win.
Silva's second-half goals ultimately secured the platform for victory for City, who had looked anything but convincing in the first-half, wasting a succession of goalscoring opportunities.
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