Sergio Aguero was on the mark again as Manchester City thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Etihad.

Aguero headed a Leroy Sane cross through the grasp of Wayne Hennessey for his 176th goal in City colours during the second half of another commanding display at the Etihad Stadium.

The Argentinian now needs just one more goal to equal the record tally of Eric Brook, which has stood since 1939.

Leaders City were already well on the way to victory when Aguero struck their fourth in the 79th minute after an opener from Leroy Sane and quickfire double from Raheem Sterling. Substitute Fabian Delph added a superb late fifth.

“We started well in the first five or ten minutes," City manager Pep Guardiola reflected. “We created good chances but after that, we forgot the ball should be moved.

“The ball was in the possession of the feel and everything was slow. We conceded [chances] on the counter-attack and anything can happen.

“If you analyse the first 30 minutes of the first half, we were not ready. Nobody took the ball and started to play. It was nine or ten seconds before anything happened. It was slow. We have to create the game, provoke the situations…

“Ten minutes before the goal, I thought: 'now, we've got it.' The tempo was quicker.

“It helped a lot that we scored in the last minutes with Leroy. In the second half, we were what we have been in the last games.

“We had the right tempo and patience in the right times. The fans love quick transitions – in three seconds, you are scoring a goal. We have to move the ball quicker.

“We are not a team to wait for the set-piece or counter-attack. Nothing moves quicker than our ball. We train everyday for that.

“In the second half, the team was ready. We did not concede in possession, we moved the ball quicker, we found the right side… we did well.

“This week, we played well."