City's 4-goal warning to rivals

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero (L) scores the second goal during their Premier League encounter against Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Monday. Photo: AFP

Manchester City started their Premier League campaign in scintillating fashion on Monday with a stylish 4-0 win at home to 10-man Newcastle United that will ring alarm bells for the rest of their title rivals.
With City spending around 90 million pounds ($141.03 million) on attacking talent for new manager Manuel Pellegrini, it was notable all the goals came from players in last season's squad - David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri.
Any sense of dressing room unrest last season under Roberto Mancini had evaporated as Pellegrini's charges, assisted by new boys Fernandinho and Jesus Navas, showed they had listened to his call for an attractive, attacking style of football.
Last season's runners-up took just six minutes to open the scoring with Silva heading in after Steven Taylor failed to deal with Edin Dzeko's shot across the goal.
They doubled their lead on 22 minutes when a low shot from Aguero, set up by a neat flick from Dzeko, went in off the far post.
City's job was made even easier just before the stroke of halftime when defender Taylor was sent off after swinging an arm at Aguero and they made the man advantage count five minutes after the break with Toure's sizzling free kick.
The hosts made it four on 75 minutes when substitute Samir Nasri slotted home and could have had many more if it had not been for some excellent saves by Newcastle keeper Tim Krul as they sent a clear message of intent to their title rivals.
The main victim of Krul's dives and parries was the outstanding Dzeko, who seemed to have been given a new lease of life after some below-par showings under Mancini and the Bosnian was unlucky not to score from a host of chances he conjured.
The only blot on the day for City was the sight of captain Vincent Kompany limping off with what looked like a groin problem.
With champions Manchester United thumping Swansea City 4-1 in their opener on Saturday and Chelsea beating Hull City 2-0 on Sunday, City were keen to demonstrate that they too meant business.
Their cause was helped by hapless Newcastle defender Taylor, who only half cleared Dzeko's shot that set up Silva's opener, was outpaced by Aguero for the second, appeared to handball another Aguero effort before being sent off before halftime.
The visitors, who had left out midfielder Yohan Cabaye after an approach from Arsenal, had also lost Jonas Gutierrez to injury just before the break to make the task of playing a whole second half against a hungry City with 10 men even more daunting.
The entire stadium was on its feet when Toure netted the hosts' third with a thumping free kick over the wall and out of reach of Krul.
Newcastle's woeful defending was exposed yet again with 15 minutes to go when Nasri, who had come on for the lively Aguero around the hour-mark, had plenty of space to send in a low left-footed shot.
Considering new signing Alvaro Negredo, the Spain striker who scored four goals in his final La Liga game for Sevilla, was only introduced 10 minutes from time and had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, City fans have good reason to believe there could be plenty more goalfests to come this season.