Edin Dzeko scored four times as Manchester City crushed Tottenham 5-1 to maintain their 100% start to the season and deliver a message to the Barclays Premier League about their title intentions this season.
Bayern Munich, Villareal and Napoli, City’s opponents in this season’s Champions League Group A, will have sat up and paid attention as Roberto Mancini’s men demolished an out-of-sorts Spurs side at White Hart Lane.
With injury ruling out Nigel de Jong, Mancini fielded new signing Samir Nasri and gave a run-out to Pablo Zabaleta in place of Micah Richards while wantaway Spurs midfielder Luka Modric tried unsuccessfully to make an impact in midfield and Harry Redknapp was unable to field loan signing Emmanuel Adebayor under the terms of his loan agreement from City.
After an evenly matched first half hour the floodgates opened and Dzeko continued his early-season form by netting a hat trick with the help of two assists from Nasri and a tap-in for his third goal off a Yaya Toure cross.
Sergio Aguero showed off some more of his sublime skills and turn of pace to get past Michael Dawson and score with a solo effort before Younes Kaboul pulled one back with a header from a Rafael Van der Vaart corner.
This proved to be only a blip in the scoreline as Dzeko went on to score his fourth and City’s fifth in added time after being set up by Gareth Barry.