Pep Guardiola and Sergio Aguero are enjoying their combo spell at the Etihad as the Argentine took his tally to eight goals in seven Premier League games against Stoke City and Nolito grabbed a late brace as Manchester City secured a 4-1 victory at the bet365 Stadium.
Guardiola later said he has been “surprised” by the quality of his Manchester City side this season.
The visitors made a high-tempo start, and went ahead through Aguero’s penalty on 22minutes.
Aguero who missed twice from the spot during the midweek Champions League play-off thrashing of Steaua Bucharest, made no mistake from 12 yards when Ryan Shawcross was rather harshly penalised by referee Mike Dean.
The striker doubled City’s lead with a well-taken header from Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick nine minutes before half-time.
But Stoke rallied and less than three minutes into the second half. Raheem Sterling was penalised for holding Shawcross, just as the Stoke captain had been in the first half. And Bojan made no mistake as he calmly dispatched the penalty passed Willy Caballero to renew Stoke’s hope.
Stoke pushed in search of a leveller as City began to show signs of fatigue following their European exertions, but Nolito’s first Premier League goal in the closing stages – swiftly followed by a second – made the result safe and took the visitors level on points with Manchester United and topping the league on goals difference.