Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden fire Manchester City past Bournemouth

Manchester City fans still living off the high from the dramatic title-clinching comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of last season will have rediscovered their equilibrium after watching their side stroll to victory over Bournemouth on their return to the Etihad.

Ilkay Gündogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden ensured the second half was a procession for City. The performance will reassure any doubters that Pep Guardiola’s side will be the one to beat this season. They spent 90 dominant minutes controlling possession, picking their moments to end Bournemouth’s futile resistance.

After their opening-day win against Villa, promoted Bournemouth learned about the rigours of the Premier League. Within six minutes City had produced four dangerous corners and Jack Stacey was booked for a lunge on Riyad Mahrez. Bournemouth had arrived with the aim of soaking up as much pressure as possible on a scorching day in east Manchester, not that Scott Parker’s cardigan indicated the seasonal warmth.

Even if their manager was not feeling the heat, the Bournemouth defence were. Foden should have squared to Erling Haaland for a tap-in after inadvertently controlling a De Bruyne shot, but took aim from close range only to see the ball ricochet off Mark Travers.

City were in complete control. Bournemouth struggled to get out of their own half in the opening 15 minutes, instead setting up camp on the edge of the box. They were breached, inevitably, in the 19th minute when Haaland showed his quality by cushioning a pass with his back to goal while under pressure from two players marking him, before spinning and sending the ball through to Gündogan who drove the ball across Travers into the corner.

When City enjoy this much possession,