Manchester City bounced back from midweek disappointment in the UEFA Champions League to inflict a 3-0 defeat on West Bromwich-Albion in the Premier League’s early kick-off on Saturday.

The champions bombarded the West Brom goal with 43 efforts as they looked to provisionally close the gap on leaders Chelsea who visit Hull City on Sunday.

The match began in controversial manner as referee Neil Swarbrick handed a straight red card to West Brom’s Gareth McAuley in just the second minute.

While the card was arguably deserved, it was shown to the wrong player as Swarbrick had blown for a foul on Wilfried Bony by Michael Dawson rather than McAuley; who only brought down Bony as the City striker made to carry on even after the whistle had been blown.

The man advantage bade very well for City that had 92% of possession at a point in the first half after the early sending off.

And after Frank Lampard sliced a good opportunity wide and David Silva was denied by Boaz Myhill, City’s intense pressure finally paid off after 27 minutes when Bony finished into the top corner from close range after West Brom failed to deal with a City cornerkick.

Spanish winger Jesus Navas was denied a spectacular goal as Myhill got a hand to his fierce shot in the 31st minute while Lampard wasted another opportunity when he fired wide of goal in the 35th minute.

Fernando would eventually double City’s lead five minutes before the break as a poor clearance from Olsson saw the ball fall to the City midfielder who finished into the bottom corner.

Star striker Sergio Agüero made some space for himself before shooting for goal only for the effort to be kept out by Myhill in the 44th, who recovered to save Zabaleta’s effort on the rebound.

A rare West Brom foray upfield was then truncated by Bony to set off a City counterattack which ended with Agüero being denied again by Myhill as City went into the break with the two-goal lead and the Baggies still reeling from the referee’s opening minute blunder.

The pace of the match stayed in City’s favour in the second half, with Bony seeing a shot kept out by Myhill just a minute after the restart.

Agüero was next to be denied by Myhill with a low effort that was kicked out for a corner kick, from which Bony headed just wide of target in the 51st minute.

Silva shot an effort straight at Myhill in the 54th minute, before City’s frustration peaked two minutes later as Lampard was again set up with a good scoring opportunity only for the former Chelsea midfielder to fire a weak effort that was easy pickings for Myhill.

Lampard’s frustrations became City’s a minute later as Agüero was denied by the post only for Bony to see his effort on the rebound come off the crossbar.

Silva then saw a goal-bound effort blocked on the hour mark while Stevan Jovetic had a curling effort sail just wide of goal, minutes after coming on for Lampard.

Berahino hits the bar from close range

Another rare foray upfield resulted in West Brom winning a corner kick, from which Saido Berahino somehow headed onto the crossbar from all of two yards out, with former City defender Joleon Lescott heading the rebound just over in the 74th minute.

The visitors would be made to rue the missed opportunity just three minutes later as David Silva sealed the points for City after the Spaniard’s touch on Jovetic’s shot ended in the back of the net.

Jovetic had a penalty appeal waved aside while Edin Džeko fired just wide in the closing seconds as City had to be content with just a 3-0 win against a West Brom side rocked by the early sending off of the wrong player.