Striker Edin Dzeko says Manchester City wanted to send a message in their opening Barclays Premier League match after hammering 10-man Newcastle 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
City were no match for their hapless opponents, with the game all but over as a contest before half-time.
David Silva opened the scoring in the sixth minute and Sergio Aguero doubled City's lead midway through the half, with Magpies defender Steven Taylor seeing red before half-time.
A superb Yaya Toure free-kick put City 3-0 up five minutes after the break, while Samir Nasri put the gloss on the result in the 75th minute.
It was an exemplary performance from City, who are among the frontrunners for the Premier League crown this season, which will have no doubt thrilled their new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Dzeko said: "I think we played a fantastic match and not only 45 minutes but 90 is what the manager expects from us.
"We played the first game at home and we wanted to show everyone what we are capable of.
"We scored four goals and we could have scored more but we are happy with these four.
"I wanted so badly to score but at the end, we won the game, we have three points and we have scored four."
While he did not manage to get on the scoresheet, Dzeko played an eyecatching role and the Bosnian striker was quick to hail Pellegrini's influence.
"The new manager brings something different to us, especially to me; giving me the confidence and that's what I needed," he added.
Toure was also quick to salute a great team performance.
"I think today was a fantastic result, fantastic beginning. I want to continue like that because the Premier League is very, very tough," he said.
"We played very well, full credit to all the team, we worked really hard and we tried to kill off the game in the first half."
Pellegrini was impressed with his new side's performance over the course of the 90 minutes.
The Chilean, who left Malaga over the summer to replace Roberto Mancini in the City hotseat over the summer, said: "For me the most important thing is the way we played for 90 minutes. We didn't play one way when we were winning, we tried to play football for 90 minutes; attaacking and defending.
"We scored four goals, I think we had at least six or seven chances to score more and we didnt concede any goals."
The former Real Madrid boss was also effusive in his praise of Spain winger Jesus Navas and Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho, both of whom excelled in their first competitive game for City.
"I said before the match that both of them are very important players for us," added Pellegrini.
"Navas always plays wide and he gives a lot of passes inside the area, and Fernandinho works the 90 minutes with the ball and without the ball.
"I'm very happy with the way they played today."
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew blasted Arsenal as "disrespectful" after the Gunners made a bid for Yohan Cabaye earlier in the day.
The Magpies turned down an offer believed to be around £12million for one of their key performers, who was left out of the line-up for the clash with City as a result.
Pardew said: "We've prepared with the lad for three days and then for him to have his head turned by this bid from Arsenal on the eve of a game is just disrespectful in my view.
"Why it couldn't have waited until tomorrow morning I do not know and I don't think the result would have been the same if he had played."
The former West Ham and Charlton boss was not too disheartened by the defeat at City, but admitted Taylor let the team down after deliberately catching Aguero round the side of his head with a swing of his arm, right in front of referee Andre Marriner.
Pardew added: "I thought we gave a good account of ourselves up until the sending off because we had threatened the goal. But the sending off was really difficult and you don't want that on the first day.
"It was a silly challenge from Tayls, which was out of character for him. It was a silly action, I can't defend him on it.
"We really had to grind and work in the second half and show a bit of spirit, which we did."
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