ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester City 6

Huddersfield 1

LONDON • Kevin de Bruyne's convalescence from his serious knee injury began with him witnessing another mesmeric Manchester City performance.

On days likes these, the sense is Pep Guardiola's finely-tuned team can do precisely what they wish, when they wish and, yesterday, it was to trounce Huddersfield 6-1.

A display of near-perfection featured the superb Benjamin Mendy and was crowned by Sergio Aguero's hat-trick - his ninth in the Premier League and only bettered by Alan Shearer's 11.

Aguero now also has 14 goals in his last eight home league appearances, and Guardiola reserved high praise for his lethal marksman and Mendy, who spent most of last season on the sidelines after a cruciate ligament injury, but has returned with a bang this term.

"(I'm pleased) with the three points, the way we played. We started better than last season," the Spaniard told Sky Sports.

"We decided today that we would play with two strikers. We could not attack in this way last year because we did not have Benjamin Mendy, he is so clever to go up and down. When we have him, we are able to attack in that way.

"I (have) never saw him (Aguero) like this since I was here, he is in an incredible condition."

Guardiola reverted to a back three at the Etihad with Kyle Walker, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling - who had all started in the season-opening win over Arsenal - replaced by Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Gabriel Jesus.

City goalkeeper Ederson's 60m punt downfield found the roving Aguero in the 25th minute and, as Ben Hamer advanced, he found himself the victim of a cute lob for the Argentinian's opening goal.

Gabriel Jesus, partnering Aguero, then joined him on the scoresheet after Mendy drove at Huddersfield's defence to make it 2-0.

The France left-back was also the man behind City's third, with his cross spilled by Hamer, only for Aguero to gobble up his second.

Although City switched off when Jon Gorenc-Stankovic got ahead of John Stones to force home their consolation goal, David Silva restored their three-goal cushion soon after the break with a peach of a free kick.

Guardiola's men continued to press their opponents and Aguero's hat-trick came in the 75th minute.

Mendy capped his best City display with a ball that the striker hit home first-time before Sane was the architect of City's sixth, forcing Hamer to deflect the ball onto team-mate Terence Kongolo and into the net.

THE GUARDIAN