In a sport with a remarkable capacity to frustrate, there are occasional days when everything seems to fall into place.
This, for Manchester City, was one of those days.
Their golden run began before they kicked a ball in earnest when old boys Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee, both reared at City, dented Chelsea’s title challenge by procuring a surprise point for Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Then the current collective closed the gap at the top of the table to five points by brushing Newcastle aside with enviable ease.
They had one goal inside a minute, three before 30 minutes were up and, by the second half, thoughts were turning to Tuesday’s clash with Barcelona.
With the luxury of a five-goal lead, they were able to rest Sergio Aguero and David Silva for the final half-hour.
After a rocky spell, City have won successive matches, scoring nine times, and enter a defining game having regained confidence and form.
City resembled the free-scoring, fluent team of last season as, for the first time in 11 months, they struck five times in a league game.
They played at pace, showed intuitive movement and benefited from the lovely combination play of Samir Nasri and Silva – twin creators who shared three goals.
Two strikers were also on the scoresheet and City’s goal difference, which was worth an extra point to them when they claimed the title, is almost as good as Chelsea’s.
But Newcastle looked a rabble – they were shambolic and shocking.
As much as Pellegrini’s players merit praise, opponents are rarely as obliging. Even Newcastle, who have now lost 11 successive league games to City, do not usually capitulate quite so quickly.
Their haplessness was highlighted by City’s attacking intent.
On Friday, Pellegrini had stated his preference for playing 4-4-2 and the extra striker he accommodated, Edin Dzeko, flourished. Ineffectual for much of the campaign, he was influential.
The Bosnian played a part in each of the first three goals and amounted to an eloquent response to the signing of a rival.
Pellegrini’s decision to use his striking signing Wilfried Bony as a substitute was justified when the first-minute opener came courtesy of the two forwards he selected to start.
Dzeko dispossessed Vurnon Anita, who then tripped the Bosnian, leaving Aguero to roll in the penalty.
A second foray in the inside-left channel from Dzeko led to another goal.
This entailed a little more fortune: his centre was deflected off Mike Williamson en route to Nasri, whose rasping shot went in off the bar.
Having gone all season without a league goal, the Frenchman now has two in as many games.
Dzeko had not found the net since September and he ended his longest drought as a City player in style when he cushioned Silva’s pass on his chest and swept in a half-volley.
Joe Hart then made a fine save to keep Papiss Cisse’s volley out before Silva’s two-minute brace. The Spaniard struck after a swift break from Aguero and a slide-rule pass from Nasri and again when the Argentine chested down Yaya Toure’s pass.
It was Silva’s ninth league goal of the season and, while City have been less prolific this campaign, he has never been so potent.
Had the replacement Bony mustered a debut goal when Tim Krul denied him, it would have been a perfect evening for City.
Yet perfection is all but unobtainable and, realistically, few things go this well.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportlUAE
