Sergio Aguero scored his 13th hat trick for Manchester City as the Premier League champions brushed Huddersfield aside in a 6-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
City swarmed around the Huddersfield area in the opening moments, Aguero having a shot blocked and the visitors' Steve Mounie miscuing a clearance onto the top of his own bar inside three minutes.
Terriers keeper Ben Hamer made a good stop from Gabriel Jesus, clean through, before a threatening David Silva cross hit a defender and was grabbed by Hamer.
But Huddersfield gained a foothold in the game as the quarter of an hour approached, seeing a bit more of the ball before another City attack brought a Jesus header that was comfortably handled by Hamer.
Ilkay Gundogan blasted an effort from the edge of the area that cannoned to safety, and then David Silva's superb angled cross was headed into the side-netting by Aguero.
Aymeric Laporte thumped over from 30 yards, and Jon Stankovic did the same for the Terriers after a rare but neat counter-attack.
But within seconds, City had made a 25th-minute breakthrough as Aguero latched on to Ederson's accurate goal-kick and, as Hamer advanced to the edge of his area, chipped superbly over him.
The home side doubled their money after 31 minutes when Jesus lashed a low effort beyond Hamer after the ball had broken to him.
Ten minutes before the break, City made it three as Hamer spilled a low cross from Benjamin Mendy and Aguero tapped home -- but Huddersfield got one back, Stankovic stabbing home after Mounie had flicked on.
The visitors made a half-time change, bringing on Laurent Depoitre for Abdelhamid Sabiri, but within three minutes of the restart they were 4-1 down as David Silva curled an exquisite free kick high into the net.
Bernardo Silva began the move that saw an Aguero shot blocked, and the striker then saw his low 25-yard shot cannon off the post with Hamer beaten.
Aguero sliced wide after a lovely flick from Jesus before Huddersfield made another switch, bringing Adama Diakhaby for Alex Pritchard.
The sparkling David Silva was replaced by Riyad Mahrez moments later as Pep Guardiola made his first change, and then Huddersfield defender Christoph Schindler was shown a yellow card for a hack on Jesus.
Hamer made a smart save from Aguero -- but with a quarter of an hour remaining the Argentina star sealed his treble in style, flicking home yet another dangerous Mendy cross.
Aguero came off moments later to be replaced by Leroy Sane, the substitute's blocked shot drawing an unlucky own goal from Terence Kongolo, while home-grown midfielder Phil Foden got a late cameo as he replaced Gundogan.
Source: espn.co.uk