Manchester City thrash struggling Swansea in first match since being crowned Premier League champions

Manchester City are yet to finalise plans for their forthcoming title parade, but it began for all intents and purposes on Sunday with this walkover win against Swansea City.

Carlos Carvalhal’s visitors paid due respect to the newly-crowned Premier League champions by offering them a pre-match guard of honour and it was much the same story for the rest of the afternoon, reduced to watching on as their opponents glided past them.

Two early strikes from David Silva and Raheem Sterling eliminated any hope of another surprise win for a relegation-threatened side in Manchester, a week on from West Bromwich Albion’s Old Trafford victory that confirmed City’s status as champions.

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From thereon, all those in sky blue around the Etihad could simply indulge in City’s dominance. Kevin de Bruyne scored an emphatic third, perhaps the best goal of his outstanding individual campaign. Bernardo Silva added the fourth, converting Gabriel Jesus’ penalty in off the post and Jesus later made amends for his miss, nodding home the fifth.

Such was City’s dominance, Pep Guardiola could even afford to make symbolic gestures with each of his three substitutions. There was a nod to the club’s fading past when Yaya Touré was introduced, then one to its bright future in Phil Foden, but the most popular by far was that of larger-than-life £52m signing Benjamin Mendy, who played his first minutes since rupturing cruciate knee ligaments in September.

The only downsides to the day were a post-match pitch invasion - likely to result in a Football Association charge - and the lack of a trophy presentation, which will come after the next league game here against Huddersfield Town on 6 May. That and City’s other three remaining fixtures could cakewalks like this and with the title secured, the focus is now on surpassing records.

This was City’s 29th win of the season. One more will equal the post-1992 record of 30, set by Antonio Conte’s Chelsea last year. The five goals put them five off Chelsea’s 103 during the 2009-10 season, while the win itself means they are just six points away from becoming the best team of the Premier League era.

The rout began when Silva became the sixth City player to reach double figures this season, hooking the ball around a helpless Fabianski after Sterling had been found by De Bruyne’s cute pass from wide.

The lead was doubled just four minutes later and Silva was again involved, combining with Delph, whose cross was tapped home by Sterling. By the end of the first half, City had made 582 passes to Swansea’s 93. It was complete control.

De Bruyne scored the best of the five - a piledriver, zipped into the far corner from 25 yards out past Fabianski’s helpless right hand.

Jesus was conspicuous by his absence on the scoresheet and failed to add his name when Sterling was felled by Federico Fernandez in the area, instead striking the spot-kick against the post. Bernardo reacted quickly to finish on the rebound but there was relief for Jesus two minutes from time, as he headed Toure’s lofted pass over Fabianski and in.

By the final whistle, that aforementioned pass count had risen to 1,015, another Premier League record. Yet you do not need numbers to tell you that this side is historic. When they play like this, it is plain to see.