Raheem Sterling scores twice as Manchester City maintain 100% record under Pep Guardiola

Raheem Sterling scored twice as Manchester City defeated West Ham 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium to go top of the Premier League.

City made it three wins from three Premier League matches under new manager Pep Guardiola, and for 45 minutes it was like watching Barcelona as the home side tore apart Slaven Bilic's injury-hit visitors.

City were 2-0 up after only 18 minutes, with Sterling drilling home the opener on eight minutes from a Nolito cut back, and Fernandinho heading home a second 10 minutes later from a sumptuous Kevin De Bruyne free-kick. But it was the interplay that stood out as much as the goals – sharp one-touch passing between Nolito, David Silva and De Bruyne, and the pace and penetration of Sterling.

At the back, John Stones was happy to step into midfield and build play up from the back like a Yorkshire Gerard Pique. But when England defender Stones limped off just after the break, the tempo of the game changed. Bilic was alert enough to take advantage, and when Michail Antonio headed home Arthur Masuaku's deep cross on 58 minutes, it looked like game on.

But City fought back as West Ham legs grew heavy in the closing stages, and Sterling took advantage in injury-time with a delicate finish from the angle from Silva's pass.

Is that the last we will see of Sergio Aguero for a month? Aguero, who had scored six goals in three matches before today, was strangely becalmed against West Ham even as team-mates Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nolito turned on the style in the first half. Did frustration get the better of him, with what seemed to be an elbow in the face of Winston Reid in the 76th minute? It was missed by referee Andre Marriner, but picked up by the TV cameras. Will the Argentine be retrospectively punished with a three-match ban, that will sideline from the derby against Manchester United on September 10, as well as matches against Bournemouth in the Premier League and Swansea in the EFL Cup?

John Stones (Manchester City): When City signed Stones from Everton for £47.5m at the start of August, most casual watchers of football muttered some variation of “What a waste of money”. They may see why City were so keen to invest their petro dollars now – after a few sessions with Pep Guardiola, Stones looks like the complete defender. His reading of the play was exemplary, and his interplay with Fernandinho, with the Brazilian dropping back seamlessly into defence when Stones came out of defence with the ball, was pitch perfect.

There will be tougher tests – Stones was up against a Premier League debutant in Ashley Fletcher – but he already looks a far more assured a player than he ever did under Roberto Martinez at Everton. When he limped off in the second half, the game changed totally, with Aleksandar Kolarov unable to boss play like the 22-year-old did in the opening 45 minutes. It remains to be seen whether the injury will rule him out of the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on September 4.

Manchester City: Caballero 7, Zabaleta 7, Otamendi 7, Stones 9, Clichy 7, Fernandinho 8, De Bruyne 7, Silva 8, Sterling 8, Nolito 7, Aguero 6. Subs: Kolarov 6, Fernando 6, Nasri 7.

West Ham: Adrian 6, Antonio 5, Collins 6, Reid 6, Ogbonna 6, Masuaku 4, Noble 5, Kouyate 5, Fletcher 5, Tore 5, Valencia 4. Subs: Byram 7, Lanzini 7, Calleri 6,

7' – GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 West Ham. Raheem Sterling nets his first goal of the season, after Silva brushes off a challenge and finds Nolito, who cuts the ball back for Sterling to finish.

18' – GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 West Ham. Fernandinho heads home a Kevin de Bruyne free-kick to net his first goal of the season. What a whipped-in cross from the Belgian though! Reid and Ogbonna look angrily at each other - how was Fernandinho allowed the room to get that run in before the header?

33' – CHANCE! De Bruyne gets away from Valencia, and the ball comes back to the Belgian following good work from Silva and Nolito, but he shoots wide via a deflection from 10 yards.

58' - GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 West Ham. Antonio heads home Masuaku's cross to cut the deficit, outjumping Clichy at the far post.

65' – CHANCE! Aguero drags Reid wide from De Bruyne's pass but he is unable to get his angled left-footed shot on target.

88' – CHANCE! Sterling shoots wide from the right channel and shoots wide from Silva's slightly overhit pass.

90+1 -'HITS THE POST! Silva has a chance to seal it but hits the post from De Bruyne's pass.

90+2' – GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 West Ham. Sterling wraps up the match with a fine finish from a tight angle from Silva's pass.

Michail Antonio has scored a league-high eight headed goals in the Premier League since the start of 2015-16.

Manchester City have scored five first-half goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other team.