Man City vs Watford result: Bernardo Silva scores hat-trick in eight-goal thrashing as Hornets ripped apart

Manchester City 8-0 Watford: Pep Guardiola's champions responded to last weekend's defeat in style, racking up five goals within 18 minutes to blow Watford away

If defeats like that at Carrow Road last weekend are the exception, then this is the rule. Manchester City returned to winning ways domestically with a total evisceration of Watford, scoring eight unanswered goals to post their biggest-ever Premier League victory.

City fell short of equalling the league-wide record - Manchester United's 9-0 thrashing over Ipswich Town in 1995 - but not through want of trying. This was a remorseless, relentless performance, right from scoring their first after only 52 seconds until their last five minutes from time.

Bernardo Silva ended with a hat-trick - appearing visibly embarrassed to scuff his third at close-range - but Kevin de Bruyne was the outstanding performer. The Belgian assisted twice, had a hand in another two and scored the last of the eight with a strike as emphatic as the final scoreline.

City were five up after just 18 minutes, through five different scorers. David Silva's opener was followed by a penalty from Sergio Aguero, who became the first player to score in all six opening games at the start of a Premier League season.

When Riyad Mahrez's free-kick, a stooping header by Bernardo and even a Nicolas Otamendi tap-in all followed in quick succession, some teams may have eased up, adhering to an unwritten rule: thou shalt not humiliate thy fellow professionals.

But to Pep Guardiola, the only humiliation is in not playing to the absolute best of your abilities at all times. Anything else would be patronising in the extreme. "That is the worst thing to do," he said after the final whistle. "That's why it didn't happen."

And so City's onslaught continued, with a sixth added at the start of the second half. It was Bernardo's second and, as if to illustrate that there would be no let up, it came about from Aguero and Silva hustling to keep a flagging attack alive.

Bernardo completed his hat-trick on the hour-mark with the messy far-post finish that had him covering his face in mild disgrace, but Watford were the ones shamed when De Bruyne rounded off the scoring with a thumping effort from outside the box.

City celebrate yet another goal at the Etihad (Reuters) (REUTERS)

It was all reminiscent of May's FA Cup final at Wembley, a day which Javi Gracia's Vicarage Road tenure never recovered from. His replacement Quique Sanchez Flores is only two games into his second spell in charge, but the damage of this defeat could be irreparable.

For City, the wounds opened by Norwich last weekend have healed. Liverpool can reestablish their five-point lead on the champions with victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but here was an emphatic reminder of the irrepressible team that currently wears the crown.