Sergio Aguero scored four times in the second half as Manchester City returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 victory over Leicester at the Etihad.

Raheem Sterling put his miss against Burnley last weekend behind him by tapping in a Kevin De Bruyne cross from almost the same position in just the third minute but the Foxes were level at the break thanks to Jamie Vardy.

Two goals in the opening eight minutes of the second half all but wrapped things up, with De Bruyne setting up Aguero on both occasions, and the striker then accepted a present from City old boy Kasper Schmeichel to complete his treble.

His fourth was the best of the lot as he crashed in a shot from 20 yards off the underside of the bar.

(PA Graphic)

Tweet of the match

Star man – Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne (left) celebrates with goalscorer Raheem Sterling after setting up City's opener
Kevin De Bruyne (left) celebrates with goalscorer Raheem Sterling after setting up City’s opener (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Aguero will steal the headlines but this was another assist masterclass from the Belgian, who set up three of City’s goals. His ability to spot a final ball is unmatched in the Premier League and the precision of his delivery for the first and second goals was right out of the top drawer.

Stat of the match

Jamie Vardy celebrates his goal at the Etihad Stadium
Jamie Vardy celebrates his goal at the Etihad Stadium (Dave Howarth/EMPICS)

Vardy’s goalscoring record is all the more impressive considering the calibre of the defences he beats. Since the start of the 2014/15 season, Vardy has scored 23 goals against the Premier League’s big six – including nine this season – more than any other player.

View from the bench

Claude Puel’s decision to change Leicester’s formation at half-time was made to appear all the more bizarre when City scored twice early in the second period. The Foxes’ back five had stood up well to the pressure in the first half but Puel opted to bring on Danny Simpson for Adrien Silva and change to a back four, with Marc Albrighton and Ben Chilwell pushing forward.

Ratings

Man City: Ederson 6, Kyle Walker 6, Nicolas Otamendi 6, Aymeric Laporte 6, Oleksandr Zinchenko 6, Fernandinho 7, Ilkay Gundogan 7, Kevin De Bruyne 9, Bernardo Silva 7, Raheem Sterling 7, Sergio Aguero 9. Subs: Danilo (for Zinchenko, 65) 6, Phil Foden (for Fernandinho, 80) 6, John Stones (for Otamendi, 81) 5.

Leicester: Kasper Schmeichel 6, Aleksandar Dragovic 6, Harry Maguire 6, Christian Fuchs 6, Marc Albrighton 6, Wilfried Ndidi 6, Matty James 6, Adrien Silva 6, Ben Chilwell 6, Fousseni Diabate 5, Jamie Vardy 7. Subs: Danny Simpson (for Silva, 46) 5, Riyad Mahrez (for Diabate, 62) 6, Kelechi Iheanacho (for Chilwell, 62) 5.

Who’s up next?

Basel v Manchester City (Champions League, February 13)
Leicester v Sheffield United (FA Cup, February 16)