The big screen was trailing a Psychic Night to be held at The Hawthorns on September 25. To be fair, about five minutes in, gifts of precognition were not required to foretell what was going to happen here. Manchester City were all over the home side from the start.
Clairvoyant Diane Lazarus would have seen a tall, dark stranger — about eight of them in fact, all bearing down on West Brom’s goal.
Prime among that number, Yaya Toure. His was a vintage display.
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Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany celebrates putting his side into a 3-0 lead against West Brom on Monday night
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Yaya Toure fires City on their way and into a 1-0 lead as Baggies midfielder James Morrison fails to block the Ivorian's low drive
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City midfielder David Silva (third left) flicks the ball through the legs of West Brom's Craig Dawson as the visitors take a 1-0 lead
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Baggies goalkeeper Boaz Myhill looks on in desperation as the deflected shot trickles agonisingly over the line
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PLAYER RATINGS BY LAURIE WHITWELL, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
West Brom (4-4-2): Myhill 6.5, Chester 5, Dawson 5, Lescott 4.5, Brunt 5, Morrison 6, Gardner 5.5, Fletcher 5.5, McClean 5 (Yacob 46 5.5), Lambert 6 (Anichebe 73), Berahino 7 (McManaman 79)
Booked: Fletcher, Gardner, Chester, Yacob
Subs not used: Olsson, Ideye, Sessegnon, Rose
Man City (4-2-3-1): Hart 6, Sagna 6, Kompany 7, Mangala 6.5, Kolarov 6, Toure 8 (Demichelis 79), Fernandinho 7, Jesus Navas 7, Silva 8.5, Sterling 7 (Nasri 73), Bony 7 (Aguero 62 6)
Booked: Fernandinho
Goals: Toure 9, 24, Kompany 59
Subs not used: Zabaleta, Caballero, Denayer, Iheanacho
Referee: Mike Dean
Att: 24,564
MOM: David Silva
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Toure's second goal came after a long spell of possession from City - CLICK HERE to see more from our brilliant Match Zone service
Toure cut a troubled figure at times last season and the damaging machinations of his agent have hardly helped his standing at the club — but here was a wonderful return to form for a player who is close to unstoppable on his best days. Toure is a Chris Gayle of a player, capable of taking the game away from teams as expertly as the West Indies captain does with the bat. Manchester City were dominant from the get-go here, but it was Toure’s drive and ambitious eye for goal that had the game won inside 24 minutes.
There was some disagreement over the identity of the first Manchester City scorer, so Toure left nothing to chance with the second.
While commentators were still debating whether the opener belonged to him, David Silva or West Brom’s unfortunate Craig Dawson, the Ivorian let rip with a shot that brooked no argument.
And that was it, match over. A third was added after half-time but from the moment City went two clear, it was plain that there was no way back for the home team.
If City did not maintain their early momentum it was only because they did not need to. They play Chelsea on Sunday, so City conserved energy, but the first-half numbers told the story: 11 shots to Albion’s one, 71 per cent possession and 417 passes, more than all but three Premier League teams completed in the entire 90 minutes of the opening weekend. By the end of the game, City had racked up 692, 211 more than any rival.
At the heart of it all was Toure. The first goal probably belonged to Silva — and if it does not right now, the Dubious Goals Panel should right that wrong — but Toure’s thrust made it possible.
Pellegrini 'very happy' with performance against West Brom
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Players from both sides look on as Myhill is left completely helpless in the West Brom goal after Toure's shot takes two deflections
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Ivorian midfielder Toure wheels away in celebration as Fernandinho congratulates his team-mate for the early strike
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Toure is surrounded by his City team-mates despite the fact that Spaniard Silva actually got a touch on the midfielder's effort
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The second? Well, that was Toure’s alone. He started it, he finished it and you won’t see too many better between now and May.
West Brom were understandably wary of City’s front-line and massed numbers in their own half, but Toure still blasted a path through.
The opening goal, after nine minutes came after a pull-back from Jesus Navas on the right. Toure marched onto it and shot, the low ball getting a direction-changing flick from Silva and a final, hapless deflection off the boot of Dawson.
Its roll over the line was almost comically slow, but goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was so bamboozled by its pinball progress that he seemed powerless to move.
Was it going in before Silva’s intervention? Possibly not. Was Silva’s touch deliberate? Undoubtedly so. Was it on target thereafter? Looks like it. So did Dawson’s touch make a difference? Only in the angle of entry, not the accuracy.
So it sounds like Silva’s goal to me, although it was announced as Toure’s (not much chance of Dawson claiming it).
With immaculate timing then, 13 minutes later, Toure claimed one that most definitely bore his signature.
It was his run and well-struck pass to Wilfried Bony that got the move going, the striker laid it back to him and Toure struck it, quite magnificently, from 20 yards out, with curl but also pace, Myhill clutching air, utterly defeated.
That is nine goals in 30 from the opening weekend scored by African players — ten if Toure gets the nod for the first one, too.
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Darren Fletcher (left), Rickie Lambert and Dawson look at each other as the City players celebrate taking an early lead
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City goalkeeper Joe Hart celebrates with delight as he watches his side ease into an early lead at the Hawthorns
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City new boy Raheem Sterling looks to evade the challenges of Craig Gardner (left) and James Chester
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Toure makes it 2-0 to the visitors after sweeping a 20-yard effort into the top corner of Myhill's goal
Pellegrini: Yaya Toure back on form after problems last season
Those who have faith in portents will note that the last five league champions have begun their campaign on the first Monday of the season, but the biggest sign was City’s supremacy rather than any reading of runes.
It is hard to tell whether West Brom were weak or simply overwhelmed. Once Toure arrived with his gander up, there was only going to be one winner.
He is some player, when he wants to be.
So, two up, City coasted, but made sure of victory with a fine set piece in the 59th minute.
Silva whipped a curling inswinger of a corner, met by captain Vincent Kompany, who completely outjumped his former team-mate Joleon Lescott, the ball clipping his shoulder and going in at the far post. It had been an underwhelming weekend for the title contenders thus far. Manchester United at best efficient, Chelsea lucky to draw with Swansea, Arsenal defeated against all expectations by West Ham.
This was different.
Here was a performance of pure class from a team that has hit the ground running.
Manuel Pellegrini could even afford to keep his main striker Sergio Aguero in reserve until midway through the second-half and still have complete command.
It might be argued that West Brom were ineffectual compared to some of the opposition faced by the elite this weekend, but it was more that City allowed them to be nothing more.
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Dawson and Joleon Lescott (right) try in vain to block Toure's goal-bound strike which doubled City's lead inside 25 minutes
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Myhill (left) attempts to dive towards Toure's powerful effort, but is ultimately unable stop West Brom falling two goals behind
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A delighted Bacary Sagna joins Toure in celebration as Manuel Pellegrini's side take a commanding 2-0 lead
They were physically superior, technically impressive and clinical. Albion retreated, Albion got 11 behind the ball, but were rarely in the contest.
It is far too early to make assumptions about who is the team to beat this season, but City look to be in a better place than their rivals right now.
Of course, all eyes were on Raheem Sterling, City’s £49million acquisition from Liverpool, and a young man who came to encapsulate all that is wrong with English football for a brief period this summer.
His first touches were greeted by boos from those on the moral high ground over the manner of his departure.
A deliberate trip by Craig Gardner after five minutes was even more joyously received. The biggest cheers, however, were reserved for the 41st minute when Sterling missed a sitter.
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Myhill manages to get a strong left hand on a Sterling shot after the £49million winger found himself through on goal
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Lambert, making his Premier League debut for West Brom, hits a free-kick over the City wall during the second half
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City captain Kompany gives his side a commanding 3-0 advantage with a well-time header in the second half
A lovely, angled pass by Fernandinho put him through on goal with only Myhill to beat, but his finish was weak and too near and was comfortably saved, James Chester sweeping in to mop up the rebound.
It wasn’t the worst debut by any means, but better is to come.
Sterling was withdrawn after 75 minutes for Samir Nasri, Pellegrini’s eyes no doubt by that time on the Chelsea game. He will be needed for that more than he was last night.
West Brom? Berahino got the ball in the net, late in the first half, his chance well-taken but offside. It was the only time Tony Pulis’s team really threatened.
Before the match, an excitable stadium announcer cornered a young fan. ‘Where do you think we’ll finish?’ he asked. ‘Fifteenth,’ came the reply.
Maybe he’s psychic, too.
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Kompany shows his passion as the Belgian defender celebrates wildly in front of the travelling City fans
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The 29-year-old thoroughly enjoys giving City a comfortable lead as West Brom struggle to get to grips with the away side
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Kompany leaps onto the advertising hoardings as the City skipper makes the most of his 59th-minute header
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City star Sergio Aguero looks to get away from Claudio Yacob after being brought on for Wilfried Bony in the second half
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Sterling walks over to the City fans before handing over his shirt following his new team's impressive win
Manuel Pellegrini 'not disappointed' by Raheem Sterling debut
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West Brom's new signings Salomon Rondon (left) and Serge Gnabry greet the fans before kick-off at the Hawthorns
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3192710/West-Brom-0-3-Manchester-City-Yaya-Toure-s-half-double-gives-Manuel-Pellegrini-s-commanding-lead.html#ixzz3iTwWPKnX
