Goals from Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan secured a 3-0 win for Manchester City against Aston Villa.
David Silva, making a club-record 267th Premier League start, dragged his shot wide with the best chance of a frustrating first half for the champions.
But it took just 22 seconds after the break for Gabriel Jesus’ header to ricochet into the path of Sterling, who slotted underneath Tom Heaton.
It was 2-0 after 65 minutes as De Bruyne’s cross evaded several players and ended up in the back of the net.
Gundogan’s low strike on 70 minutes made it 3-0 before Fernandinho was sent off late on as he received a second yellow card.
Manchester City’s third consecutive victory moves them three points behind Liverpool ahead of the leaders’ Sunday match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Villa’s first loss in three drops them to 13th place with 11 points, half of City’s total.
