West Brom 0-5 Manchester City: Blues go top of the league with help of another ‘offside’ goal

When they are like this, you can never be quite sure how many players are out actually there in Manchester City blue. It certainly does not feel like only the eleven named. Maybe someone sneaks on without anybody noticing.

Just way too good, way too slick. Pep Guardiola appeared to have about three false nines on the pitch, West Brom a spinning top waiting to collapse. There is always a man over, always yards and yards of grass to move in to. And when players of this supreme ability engineer that much space, the result will invariably end exactly the same way most weeks.

This is 11 victories on the trot in all competitions for Guardiola, the first time he has managed that since the Centurions season of three years ago. The run has included swaggering away victories at Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. This was another for the collection.

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (left) scored twice as Manchester City stormed to the top of the Premier League on Tuesday night

Midfielder Gundogan opened the scoring at the Hawthorns with a brilliant curling finish in the sixth minute

If United win on Wednesday night, City will still sit top of the Premier League for their longest period of the campaign: one day. The timing of this spell of dominance on the division is awfully well timed, given the wretched form of some other contenders.

But really, it is not about the results for Guardiola, more the way in which they are being earned.

More to follow 

Joao Cancelo added the second with the benefit of VAR controversy after Sian Massey raised her flag for offside