Manchester City fullback Pablo Zabaleta felt they sent a message to rivals after a 4-1 win at Stoke City.

Zabaleta was delighted with the victory at a notoriously difficult Premier League ground.

He told City's website: “This is always a tough place to come but the performance was fantastic. It was not easy because we played a tough match in midweek against Bucharest. We showed a great team spirit. From the first minute, we were on top of them.

“The first part of the second half was hard after they score the penalty but other than that I think we kept the ball really well and we deserved to win.

“The players that have been here for a long time need to help them because Manchester City is a team that is looking to win trophies every season. It's going to be tough but we have belief."