Kevin De Bruyne played a part in five goals as Pep Guardiola’s side put on a sensational display to move clear at the top of the Premier League.
While the goals were shared around between Gabriel Jesus (2), Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho, Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva, it was De Bruyne’s name chanted loudest by the fans who gave him a standing ovation when he was replaced in the second half.
In contrast to the dull goalless draw played by Manchester United at Anfield earlier in the day, City were irrepressible and reminiscent of Guardiola’s Barcelona team at their best.
New boy Bernardo Silva puts the cherry on the cake and scores Manchester City’s seventh goal in the demolition of Stoke
The Portuguese ace is congratulated by the City supporters and team-mate Raheem Sterling after coming up with the goods
Leroy Sane had recently put City even further ahead, adding to Stoke’s misery with a low, driven effort into the bottom corner
The Germany international peeled away with his arms outstretched to celebrate his goal with the home supporters
Sane points back across to his onrushing team-mates who quickly join him to celebrate his goal
Fernandinho lashes a sublime effort from long distance which appears destined for the back of the net as soon as it’s struck
The ball bends past helpess Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland and sends the Etihad into scenes of euphoria
Stoke, who fielded 18-year-old debutant Thomas Edwards, showed courage to fight their way back to 3-2 having fallen 3-0 behind. But that only seemed to annoy the home side who promptly scored four more of their own. They now lead the league by two points.
Manchester City have now scored 17 goals in their last three Premier League games at The Etihad Stadium and are averaging more than three goals in the league this season (29 in eight matches). Carry on and they will smash Chelsea’s record total of 103 in 2010.
Guardiola ignored any potential travel hangovers from the international break, and named his strongest team with Sergio Aguero returning among the substitutes two weeks after his car accident in Amsterdam.
Stoke just about survived for the opening 17 minutes but were then sliced apart after De Bruyne’s pass played in Sterling behind marker Erik Pieters.
Sterling showed composure to pull back for Jesus, who tapped in to follow up his two goals in midweek for his country against Chile.
This too was like watching Brazil. After 19 minutes it was 2-0. De Bruyne looked one way, and passed the other to Sane on the byline. His cutback was slotted him by Sterling, his seventh goal already this season having managed just 10 in the whole of the last campaign.
Moments earlier Gabriel Jesus had struck his second goal of the game to make certain City’s victory at 4-2
The young Brazilian calmly soaked up the adoration of the masses after scoring yet another goal in the sky blue of City
Mame Diouf causes silence to fall on the Etihad after jumping highest to meet the header and score Stoke’s second goal
David Silva slides low following a passage of build up play to slot the ball into the bottom corner for Manchester City’s third
The playmaker wheeled away in celebration after putting his side further ahead in the Premier League contest
Manchester was revelling in the kind of performance Guardiola was brought in to deliver and the third goal was as good as it gets.
Jesus fed Sane whose low cross went across the width of the 18-yard box to Sterling. His lay-off found Silva arriving in the box and the Spaniard was able to take a touch at full stretch before firing in the third.
You’d rarely seen a collection of more bedraggled players that Stoke’s set of red-and-white stripes and Hughes has to take some blame for putting up rookie Edwards against the rampant Sane, and leaving three up front when his side were being utterly dominated in midfield with less than 20 per cent possession.
In the circumstances, you had to admire the visitors for hitting back with a couple of unexpected strikes of their own.
Approaching half-time, Diouf played a one-two with Jese and fired in past Ederson via a deflection off Fabian Delph’s outstretched leg.
Hughes made two changes at the interval – Bruno Martins Indi and Ibrahim Afellay on for Kevin Wimmer and Jese – and incredibly, they’d scored a second just over 60 seconds after the restart.
Silva is mobbed by fellow goalscorer Raheem Sterling after his effort gave City further room to breathe in the tie
Mame Biram Diouf lashed an effort home to pull one back for the hosts and send Stoke into half-time with hope at 3-1
Goalkeeper Ederson could only watch on as the ball was deflected up and over him and into the back of the City net
Dejection is etched across the face of the City stopper as Diouf begins to celebrate his lifeline goal in the background
Sterling had added City’s second in the match moments early with a well placed, close-range effort
The winger raced away with a smile on his face after adding further to his goal haul for City this season
In a neat role reversal, it was young Edwards who got the better of Sane by the touchline and his cross into the box was met with a miscued header from Diouf, the ball bouncing off Kyle Walker’s chest and in.
It was tragic for Edwards that in the very next attack, he had to be carried off on a stretcher close to tears after being caught by a sliding tackle from Delph. He was given sympathetic applause from all sides of the ground as Ramadan Sobhi came on.
With the scoreline too close for comfort, the incredible De Bruyne moved up the gears to make it 4-2.
The Belgian, who covers most blades of grass during an afternoon, popped up alongside the right-hand touchline, powering forward before producing a low arced cross allowed Jesus to fire into the roof of the net from close range.
Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus had struck early on to break the deadlock and give the hosts the first advantage
The youngster performed his trademark phone celebration after getting his side off the mark at the Etihad
City began to threaten from the opening moments as manager Pep Guardiola began to rue missed chances in the early stages
The Spaniard was in visible despair as City failed to go ahead with the early chances in the match
A smiling Sergio Aguero took his place on the bench after returning to the fold following an injured rib in a car accident
His square ball then made its way to Delph, and then Fernandinho who shot into the top corner from 25 yards for 5-2 after an hour.
Four minutes later, De Bruyne played the pass of the game, a beautiful curled ball to Sane who finished in style. Two minutes after that, the Belgian was allowed to depart to save Stoke further punishment.
Sane was fractionally wide of adding a seventh goal when his free-kick hit the sidenetting. But it did come after 79 minutes when substitute Bernardo Silva danced his way into the penalty area to take Sterling’s pass in his stride and flick the ball past Jack Butland.
Were you watching, Jose Mourinho?