Manchester City opened up space at top of the Premier League table in quite some style, as they continued their goalscoring prowess at the Etihad Stadium with the 7-2 trouncing of Stoke City.

Their first-half showing was stellar despite an early miss from Leroy Sané as goals from Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and David Silva all but wrapped up the points, before the hosts were given a slight scare when Mame Biram Diouf got one back.

Things really heated up when Stoke got another one back through an own goal by Kyle Walker, however despite the slight scare Pep Guardiola's side saw out the rest of the game in some style with further goals from Jesus, Fernandinho, Sané and Bernardo Silva securing another excellent three points.

Coming flying out of the traps

City have had an excellent start to the campaign and with Manchester United dropping points earlier in the day at Liverpool, an opportunity opened itself to open up a gap, the Citizens certainly didn't waste it as they couldn't have asked for a better start as they notched in three goals inside the opening half hour.

They should have been a goal up inside the ten minutes as De Bruyne whipped in a great ball which Kevin Wimmer failed to clear only as far as Sané, the young German looked set up to open the scoring but he somehow managed to knock it over the crossbar.

It didn't take long before City managed to open the scoring in the 17th minute and once again De Bruyne was involved, the Belgian produced a great ball which found the lung-busting run of Walker who simply played it across for Jesus to tap home with ease.

It was two moments later and once again it was an excellent piece of play from home side, Sané started the move before receiving the ball back from De Bruyne. The German played back across the box for Sterling at the back post who managed to beat Jack Butland and Erik Pieters on the line.

City were showing why they are been considered early title contenders and they continued that with their third goal of the afternoon, once again it was stellar as Sané sprayed it across the area to the running Sterling. Instead of going alone he found Silva in the middle who took a touch before sticking it past two defenders and under Butland.

Getting back in it ?

Mark Hughes will have been happy for his side to get inside for the half-time break without conceding another goal, but they were given a glimmer of hope as they got one back just before the interval.

Diouf was a one-man show as he got past Fernandinho on the right before his cross for Jesé came back into him, Fernandinho looked to redeem himself for letting him past but his deflection saw Diouf's effort loop over the head of Ederson.

​City could have had a fourth before the break if not for an excellent save for Butland, The Potters managed to jangle nerves inside the Etihad Stadium as they added another goal straight after the restart.

Hughes had decided to hand a debut to Tom Edwards and he looked to impress as he played in a great ball in the 47th minute, his cross found the head of Diouf whose effort was off target until Walker's thigh sent it in the net.

​Rounding off in resounding fashion

City certainly didn't look worried by the prospect of Stoke getting back into the contest, and they made sure that any miraculous recovery was prevented as they added another four.

Pieters had quite the horror show and was exposed again as De Bruyne got down the right, he played it into the empty area where Jesus was waiting to turn it home with his first touch.

Arguably their best goal came on the hour mark as Fernandinho added a fifth, it came from the corner as Fabian Delph flicked it to the Brazilian who took the touch before smashing it into the top corner with help from the crossbar.

Sané reedemed himself as he added a sixth just two minutes after Fernandinho's thunderbolt, De Bruyne was once again excellent as he picked up the ball near the halfway line before finding the German at the back post and made no mistake as he slid it under Butland.

​The final goal of the stellar contest came in the 79th minute and it was the turn of the substitute Silva to get in on the action, it was just too easy for City as Sterling played a simple ball into the former Monaco man and he slotted it beyond Butland.