Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 win over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium this evening to set a new Premier League record of 15 successive victories.
David Silva opened the scoring on 27 minutes with a delicate finish from Bernardo Silva's cross, and Kevin de Bruyne doubled City's lead seven minutes later with a cross-cum-shot free kick which snuck inside the post.
There was little that Swansea could do as City began the second half in full flow and extended their advantage to three eight minutes after the restart when Raheem Sterling teed up Silva for his second of the night.
Sergio Aguero added a fourth late on as Pep Guardiola's side surpassed Arsenal's winning streak of 14 - from February to August 2002 - and retained their 11-point lead at the top of a table which is still propped up by Swansea.
Relive how the action unfolded in Wales with our minute-by-minute updates below.
Bournemouth, Liverpool, Watford, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Stoke, Burnley, West Brom, Arsenal, Leicester, Huddersfield, Southampton, West Ham, Manchester United...and Swansea? Victory in Wales tonight for Man City and they set a new Premier League record of 15 straight wins.
Pep Guardiola's side, who hold an 11-point lead at the top of the table, could not have asked for a much friendlier fixture as they bid to make Premier League history, with Swansea bottom of the table and with the worst home record in the division. Let's get to the team news...
SWANSEA: Fabianski; Naughton, Van der Hoorn, Mawson, Olsson; Mesa, Ki, Carroll; Dyer, Ayew, Bony
Subs: Mulder, Fernandez, Rangel, Clucas, Fer, Narsingh, Abraham
Subs: Mulder, Fernandez, Rangel, Clucas, Fer, Narsingh, Abraham
MAN CITY: Ederson; Danilo, Otamendi, Mangala, Delph; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Silva; Sterling, Bernardo, Aguero
Subs: Bravo, Walker, Gundogan, Sane, Jesus, Zinchenko, Toure
Subs: Bravo, Walker, Gundogan, Sane, Jesus, Zinchenko, Toure
The Citizens make four changes to the side which seemingly put the title to bed with victory at Manchester United on Sunday, an even more impressive result considering that all-time leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero didn't play a part. He is back in for Gabriel Jesus this evening.
Elsewhere, Danilo and Bernardo Silva get chances in the starting lineup as Kyle Walker and Leroy Sane are rested. Vincent Kompany's fitness is not risked either, with Eliaquim Mangala coming in to partner Old Trafford match-winner Nicolas Otamendi in central defence.
John Stones and Bernard Mendy are long-term absentees from a defence which has benefitted greatly this season from the addition of Ederson in goal. The chief suspect in the milk-throwing case involving Jose Mourinho will be eyeing a clean sheet against the division's worst attack.
Swansea boss Paul Clement may have wanted to name an unchanged lineup from Saturday's 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, which ended a run of eight matches without a win, but a muscle injury has ruled Wayne Routledge out. Jordan Ayew is his replacement in the only change.
The Swans are captained by former City striker Wilfried Bony, who bagged only 10 goals in 47 appearances during a disappointing spell at the Etihad Stadium before being sold back to Swansea in the summer. He has recently found his scoring boots with two in his last two games.
Federico Fernandez usually wears the armband for the Swans but he has been unable to force his way back into the team since returning from a niggle. As he did at the weekend, the Argentine again sits on the bench as Mike van der Hoorn keeps his place alongside Alfie Mawson.
Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham has been Swansea's standout performer this season with four goals which earned him his first senior England call-up. Clement will want to find a way of getting him and Bony in the same team, but the visit of the form team in Europe probably isn't the time.
Leon Britton is celebrating 15 years at Swansea after initially joining on loan from West Ham United in December 2002. There is no place in the squad for the player-coach this evening though with Sam Clucas and Leroy Fer providing sufficient midfield cover on the bench.
Here is Britton's Swansea career in numbers. He has seen and done it all with the Swans!
1️⃣5️⃣ years of Leon...
It's been a special journey so far!
5️⃣3️⃣5️⃣ appearances
🏆 League Cup winner
🏆 FL Trophy winner
🏆 League One winner
🏆 Championship play-off winner
✅ Great Escape '03
✅ League Two promotion
✅ Captain
✅ Player-assistant coach
✅ Legend pic.twitter.com/FSkVKw5LGi — Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 13, 2017
Speaking of impressive numbers, 15 is the one that Man City are chasing tonight as they aim to break Arsenal's record of 14 successive Premier League victories between February and August 2002. Their current streak of 14 is already a top-flight record for wins in a successive season.
Not only is this top versus bottom of the Premier League, this is also the division's worst home side against its best travellers. Swansea have only collected seven points at the Liberty Stadium this season, while the Citizens have a 100% away record with eight wins from eight in 2017-18.
Man City's unbeaten run has not been without its tests. Pep Guardiola's side have won 10 points from losing positions - a joint-league high with Arsenal - which shows they are battlers as well as ballers.
There is no bigger test in English football than a trip to Old Trafford, where United were unbeaten in 40 home matches before City's derby triumph on Sunday. Otamendi's winning goal made him the highest scoring Premier League defender of this season with four goals.
A remarkable but ultimately useless statistic which exemplifies the greatness of Guardiola's Man City side is that already, not even halfway through the season, they have more points (46) than 13 Premier League teams managed throughout the whole of last term.
City are chasing team history tonight but Kevin de Bruyne can also become a record breaker before 2017 is done. The Belgian has 17 league assists in 2017, which is just three away from Mesut Ozil's all-time calendar year record of 20 for Arsenal, achieved in 2015.
If De Bruyne doesn't get you, Raheem Sterling might. The former Liverpool winger has scored nine goals in 14 league appearances, already equalling his best return for an entire Premier League campaign. Guardiola's improvement of the player is one of his biggest achievements at City.
Around 20 minutes until kickoff at the Liberty Stadium now. A reminder that there are six other Premier League matches tonight, and you can follow live coverage of Manchester United vs. Bournemouth, West Ham vs. Arsenal and Liverpool vs. West Brom in our live commentary section.
Can Paul Clement mastermind a memorable upset tonight? The Swansea boss isn't ruling it out.
He is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "We are the underdogs, no question, but plenty of teams in the past have been in that role and got a result. We will make it as hard as we can. We are playing the best team in the league at this point, they can win in different ways at different places."
Although they do have the worst home record in the league, Swansea are unbeaten in their last two matches on their own patch and have kept clean sheets in both. It is not Manchester City-standard unbeaten record, but it is something for the Welsh outfit to build on!
The Swans may be bottom of the table, but their record of three wins, three draws and 10 defeats from their opening 16 league games is exactly the same record at this stage of last season - when they finished 15th and seven points clear of danger, in the end.
Eight of Swansea's 10 league defeats have been by a single-goal margin, which shows that they almost always give teams a game. They have pushed Arsenal and Chelsea close and drawn with Tottenham already this season, although all of those results were away from home.
A shock victory tonight could lift Swansea out of the relegation zone, depending on results elsewhere. Meanwhile, City could be 14 points clear if Manchester United slip up at home to Bournemouth.
HEAD TO HEAD: Manchester City have won 12 and lost only one of their last 15 matches between the clubs in all competitions. That Swansea win was a 1-0 Premier League victory at the Liberty Stadium in March 2012.
The last four meetings at the Liberty Stadium have produced 17 goals - an average of 4.3 goals per game. Aguero got a double in this fixture last season so the Swans should fear the well-rested Argentine.
PREDICTION: Without three of their first-choice back four, this Man City defence looks a little vulnerable but Swansea don't have the firepower to take advantage, nor the ability keep the visitors out. I'll go for 3-1 and Premier League history for Guardiola's men.
The players are out ahead of kickoff. There are plenty of gloves in sight despite the temperatures having risen to a continental four degrees centrigrade in Wales after a snowy weekend.
KICKOFF: Aguero gets the game underway with City in their darker changed strip.
This game has already settled into an early pattern with City having all of the ball and Swansea sitting off.
De Bruyne cuts the ball back from the byline but Aguero had made a run into the six-yard box.
SHOT! Bright play from Aguero as he goes past two Swansea defenders and shoots into the side-netting.
SAVE! A City corner is cleared to Fernandinho on the edge of the box and his shot through a crowded penalty area forces Fabianski into a really good stop. The Swans keeper wouldn't have seen that until late and reacted very quickly.
SHOT! Ayew nearly catches City by surprise as he darts in from the right, brushes off Otamendi and unleashes a shot which is destined for the bottom corner before Ederson pushes it away.
Bernardo Silva will be looking to make the most of only his fourth league start of the season. He rushes to the right byline to keep the ball in play and does so, but is crowded out by two Swansea defenders.
Delph delivers a ball deep to the back post, where De Bruyne had peeled off his marker only to lash a wild volley high into the stands. It is a difficult technique, but if anybody is capable...
CHANCE! Again City get down the left and this time De Bruyne is the supplier as he delivers for Aguero who heads a few yards over the crossbar. His aerial ability is one of the Argentine's most underappreciated assets and he may be disappointed that he couldn't get that on target.
De Bruyne's free-kick drops to Otamendi but the defender doesn't know much about it and it rolls off his body and behind for a goal kick. It would have been a great chance if the defender could have got it under control.
A Swansea attack breaks down with a wayward Bony layoff and City counter quickly. Aguero tries to play in the onrushing Danilo, but the full-back's first touch is poor and the danger passes.
CLOSE! Bernardo's quick change of direction fools a couple of Swansea defenders and he whips in a lovely cross into Aguero, whose glancing header lands on the roof of the net.
Midway through the first half and Swansea will be thrilled that they are still on level terms. The visitors have created a handful of half chances but have not been at their best so far.
CHANCE! Here is another of those half-chances, but it falls to the wrong man from City's perspective as Otamendi blazes over at the back post after Fabianski flapped at a set piece.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-1 MAN CITY (DAVID SILVA)
City take the lead and it is through the man whom new Sky Sports pundit Noel Gallacher describes as their best ever player - David Silva. Swansea try to play the ball out from the back and make a mess of it. It falls to Bernardo and he delivers another great cross which Silva flicks past Fabianski from close range.
SAVE! Swansea are going to need Fabianski to be at their best if they are to stay in this game and he has just made a great save from Aguero. There is a worry for Paul Clement though because the goalkeeper has stayed down after being caught by Silva in a 50-50 rebound.
Fabianski is going to be okay to continue and he now has a free-kick to contend with...
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-2 MAN CITY (KEVIN DE BRUYNE)
City's other midfield maestro is on the scoresheet now with a free-kick from the left edge of the box, which was probably a cross flung into a good area that beat everybody and snuck inside Fabianski's far post.
That quickfire double has really got City ticking and they are now moving the ball very fluently. Swansea's midfielders cannot keep up and it is putting more and more pressure on their back five.
Danilo calls Fabianski into action again with a long-range drive. The Brazilian is looking for his first goal for the Citizens and won't be the only one trying to get in on the act as City begin to coast.
The ball nearly breaks to Sterling but Mawson makes a very important intervention inside his own box.
LATEST: Romelu Lukaku has given Manchester United the lead against Bournemouth. That goal is only going to fuel the detractors who says he is a flat-track bully after his poor performance against City at the weekend.
Lukaku isn't alone in struggling against City this season, mind you. Swansea haven't done much wrong but find themselves two down and need to get to half time without conceding another.
HALF TIME: SWANSEA 0-2 MAN CITY
KICKOFF: Swansea get the second half underway with Tammy Abraham having replaced Tom Carroll.
MISS! David Silva somehow misses after being played through on goal by Aguero.
SAVE! Aguero forces a save out of Fabianski after being found in the box by Bernardo.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-3 MAN CITY (DAVID SILVA)
Silva gets his second and wraps this game up. It is a simple finish for him after good work from Sterling. City are on their way to history!
City are in full flow now. The substitution has done nothing to help Swansea keep the ball up top. It just keeps coming back at them.
SUBSTITUTION: Old favourite Yaya Toure gets a rare runout as Fernandinho is spared the last half hour.
Fantasy football managers will be hoping Aguero can get on the scoresheet. He's missed another decent chance here by dragging wide from De Bruyne's pass.
SAVE! Swansea have enjoyed a decent period in the last few minutes and had a couple of half-chances. Bony had a shot blocked from the edge of the box before Mesa worked Ederson from a similar distance, forcing a save from the Brazilian which is as good as anything we've seen tonight.
SUBSTITUTION: Luciano Narsingh replaces Nathan Dyer, who has had very few, if any, opportunities to run at makeshift full-back Delph.
De Bruyne is hunting a second and aims for the bottom corner with a shot which Fabianski gets down to.
De Bruyne tees up Sterling who blazes over from the centre of the box despite being in plenty of space.
SUBSTITUTIONS: A change apiece from the two managers and it is a Premier League debut for Oleksandr Zinchenko, who fills in for Delph at left-back. For Swansea, Fer is on for Bony, who started the game brightly but hasn't been involved since City's first goal.
SUBSTITUTION: De Bruyne leaves the field to a warm ovation from the whole of the Liberty Stadium as Ilkay Gundogan gets a run out. He surely has to be favourite to be the PFA Player of the Year?
David Silva has been very good again tonight (isn't he always?!). Not only does he have his goals but he is involved in everything that City do and does his fair share of the donkey work. An outstanding player.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-4 MAN CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
Aguero gets his goal to round things off wonderfully for City, working his way past two seasons and rifling into the bottom corner despite being forced away from goal. What a great finish from the striker.
OFF THE LINE! Swansea come close to a consolation as Ayew's shot takes a deflection which eventually loops up to Ki, whose header is hacked from under his own crossbar by Otamendi.
The goalscoring action might not be done here! Swansea look as dangerous as they have all game with Ayew having a couple of shots and, at the other end, Bernardo nearly made it five but was denied by Fabianski from 20 yards out.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA 0-4 MAN CITY
Manchester City are history makers - 15 Premier League wins in a row and few will have been easier than this. Two for Silva and one apiece for De Bruyne and Aguero made it a comfortable night in Wales.
That's it from the Liberty Stadium. Thanks for joining us on this record-breaking night for the Citizens, which you can read all about with our match report. There are still Premier League games going on so keep up to date with our results section!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
