Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1: Terriers thrashed by champions

Huddersfield Town's Jon Gorenc Stankovic scores his side's first goal of the game at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. (Picture: PA)

The hosts, without a home goal in their four previous league matches with Town - bidding to become the first opponent to prevent City scoring on home soil for a fifth consecutive league encounter against them - atoned with a stylish performance, featuring three first-half goals in the space of ten minutes.

The torment continued on the restart as Sergio Aguero helped himself to the ninth top-flight hat-trick of his career at City as the hosts thteatened to run up a cricket score.

All the first half goals were preventable from a Town point of view, but what could not be doubted was the class shown by the hosts for most of the game.

Manchester City's David Silva (centre) celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. (Pictures: PA)

The opener arrived on 25 minutes when a ‘route one’ punt forward from home keeper Ederson was latched onto by Aguero, who decieved Christopher Schindler before coolly lifting the ball over Ben Hamer, horribly exposed out of his goal.

Six minutes later, Hamer could not prevent Gabriel Jesus’s low shot from flying past him at his near post after good work down the left from Benjamin Mendy unhinged Town.

Soon after, it was three when Hamer inexplicably spilled Mendy’s routine low cross and Aguero fired home the loose ball.

Town - without Zanka, Jonathan Hogg and Aaron Mooy - with the latter missing the game due to his wife being in labour - did reduce the arrears shortly before the break with a first goal for the club from Jon-Gorenc Stankovic, making his first appearance for the club since March 2017.

Stankovic, operating as a deep-lying midfielder, latched onto Steve Mounie’s flick on following a long throw from Philip Billing and clinicially fired low past Ederson.

Soon after the interval, normal service was restored for the hosts, with an exquisite free-kick from the classy David Silva leaving Hamer rooted to the spot.

It was no just a case of how many City would score, with Aguero going close to his hat-trick when his low strike from distance shuddered against the post.

Aguero fired wide before his treble arrived when he clinically flicked the ball home from close range from Mendy’s centre.

The unfortunate Terence Kongolo then conceded an own goal, with the loose ball riccocheting off him into the net after Hamer denied Sane, with Bernando then going close to a seventh.

Manchester City: Ederson; Stones, Kompany; Laporte; Fernandinho, B Silva, Gundogan (Foden 82), D Silva (Mahrez 64(, Mendy; Jesus, Aguero (Sane 76). Substitutes unused: Bravo, Walker, Sterling, Otamendi.

Huddersfield Town: Hamer; Smith, Stankovic, Schindler, Kongolo, Lowe; Hadergjonaj, Pritchard (Diakhaby 62), Billing, Sabiri (Depoitre 45); Mounie (Sobhi 84). Substitutes unused: Lossl, van La Parra, Mbenza, Williams.

Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).