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Premier League, Etihad Stadium – Manchester City 3 (Kolarov 5, Aguero 60, Milner 89) Sunderland 0.

Manchester City got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a commanding 3-0 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.

Aleksandr Kolarov’s vicious free kick got the champions off to the perfect start five minutes in, and though they spurned a raft of chances, substitute Sergio Aguero did eventually double the lead on the hour.

It could easily have been a landslide win for the home side, who made it 30 victories in their last 33 home games in the Premier League with the result, but in the end they managed only one more, with Milner’s 89th minute free kick going straight through Mignolet.

City move up provisionally to second after the win, and extend their unbeaten start to the season to seven games with perhaps their most convincing display of the season so far.

Roberto Mancini rang the changes – seven of them from their midweek Champions League match – but most surprising of them was the absence of captain Vincent Kompany.

Mancini subsequently confirmed the Belgium defender was suffering an injury, handing a first start of the season to Micah Richards in partnership with Joleon Lescott.

The nerves were quickly settled as by City racing into an early lead.

Carlos Cuellar, fit from injury and the only Sunderland change to the side which had beaten Wigan last weekend, marked his return with a dreadful sliding tackle on Carlos Tevez.

Kolarov and Mario Balotelli debated who should take the set piece from the left – the Serbian won that battle, then dispatched it left-footed past Simon Mignolet at the near post.

Sunderland, who claimed four points out of six against the champions in the corresponding fixture last year, responded well enough, with Stephane Sessegnon going closest with a half-chance on the volley.

But City’s class told, and as the half wore on they went close on several occasions.

Pablo Zabaleta pounced on a loose ball 20 minutes in, only to see his shot smothered by Mignolet, while Tevez dragged the rebound wide.

Balotelli, victim of some nasty challenges from Craig Gardner, almost turned in a low centre from the right-hand side half an hour in, while Adam Johnson, making his first appearance against his former club, very nearly played in former team-mate Tevez with a terrible crossfield pass.

Sunderland rode out the storm and made it to half time without sustaining further damage.

But despite a spirited start to the second half, with Stephen Fletcher seeing a well-struck volley blocked, it was City who set the pace.

Richards was on the end of every set piece – that he did not end up on the scoresheet owed everything to some desperate goal-line defending from Danny Rose and some sharp saves from Mignolet.

Balotelli had another gilt-edged chance too, but could not get a touch on Kolarov’s low centre just before he made way for Aguero.

Five minutes after his arrival, the Argentine notched his 25th Premier League goal, Kolarov again the provider, with a first-time shot at the near post.

Tevez had further chances, as did the effervescent Kolarov, while David Silva struck the woodwork with Mignolet out of position.

Milner did eventually manage the third, though Mignolet, who had otherwise had a good game, let himself down with the free kick from a narrow angle.

Mancini had insisted in midweek that he knew how to solve City’s problems after a slow start to the season – and on this showing, the Italian was right.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Aleksandr Kolarov (Manchester City) – With not too much to do in defence, Kolarov was given freedom on the wing. Scoring one and setting up another, he was a handful for Sunderland.

Premier League, Craven Cottage – Fulham 1 (Petric 10, pen) Manchester City 2 (Aguero 43, Dzeko 87).

Edin Dzeko scored with his first touch off the bench as Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage in the Premier League.

Dzeko, seconds after coming on, fired into the top right after an error from John Arne Riise, giving City the win when it looked like Fulham had done enough to earn a point.

Mladen Petric had given Martin Jol’s side an early lead from the spot after Pablo Zabaleta pulled back Riise in the box, with Sergio Aguero levelling just before half-time.

The win keeps City four points off leaders Chelsea, while Fulham – without injured star Dimitar Berbatov – are on nine points from their opening six games.

Fulham started brightly as a somewhat sluggish-looking City became accustomed to their surroundings, and the Whites exploited the moment by taking an early lead.

The champions’ defending has been suspect this season, and Pablo Zabaleta was hapless in his efforts to halt the run of John Arne Riise, who skipped past the Argentine far too easily before being taken down by a desperate tug.

The incident occurred on the fringes of the penalty area, with contact just inside, as Mark Halsey pointed to the spot: Petric made no mistake with a fierce penalty, sending Joe Hart one way and the finish the other.

Incredibly they could have doubled that lead soon afterwards when, on the quarter-hour, Petric thrashed his shot wide after fine build-up play from Hugo Rodallega and Steve Sidwell.

City seemed to wake from their slumber and, predictably, dominated the rest of the half as David Silva and Yaya Toure dominated the midfield in contrasting fashion.

Brede Hangeland cleared off the line when Zabaleta’s low cross looked set for a Toure tap-in, while Aguero should have done better with a free far-post header that he put wide.

Carlos Tevez tried in vain to claim a penalty when tumbling past Riise, although replays showed he made the most of it, while Whites goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer clawed the ball off the line after a goalmouth scramble saw Tevez and Aaron Hughes slide in together.

The big Australian made a smart double save from Silva and Aguero as City continued to bombard the home area, but he was powerless to prevent the equaliser on 43 minutes.

Schwarzer had already made one great save to palm away Silva’s first-time finish, which was a diversion of a Zabaleta cross-shot into the box: the keeper prostrate from his heroics, he could only watch as Aguero drove home the loose ball from a tight angle for a deserved leveller.

Half-time could not come quick enough for Fulham, who had their backs against the walls for the latter stages of the half.

They were better in the second period which, while largely controlled by City, was a more even affair, if relatively light on chances.

Indeed, both sides had just one noteworthy opportunity apiece in the third ‘quarter’, Brede Hangeland and Aguero both heading wide after good balls from Bryan Ruiz and Zabaleta respectively.

Aware that the match was in danger of drifting into a bore-fest, Roberto Mancini acted by introducing the volatile but inquisitive Mario Balotelli, who immediately launched a long-range effort past the post.

Most of City’s good work went through Silva, whose running and movement with the ball was exceptional, although he was unable to pick out a final ball of note.

Fulham, meanwhile, were not exactly passengers, the introduction of Swedish winger Alexander Kacaniklic injecting some flair to proceedings and carving out a chance for Ruiz, whose fine drive was batted away by Hart.

The last quarter-hour saw Samir Nasri enter the fray as the well-organised home defence and midfield constantly shut the door on City’s forays into the final third.

It was testament to work-rate and determination by the hosts, with veteran Greece midfielder Giorgos Karagounis brought on to shore things up further as City grew frustrated.

His first act was to give away a free-kick, which Balotelli spanked into the wall, signalling a last throw the dice for Roberto Mancini, with the introduction of Dzeko.

It threw up a six as, with his first touch, the Bosnian latched on to a dreadful defensive header from Riise to smash a vicious finish into the top right.

Schwarzer was right to be furious, his team’s good work undone by the sloppiest of errors. City could have added a third as Fulham left gaping holes while chasing an equaliser, the best chance falling to Silva, who fired just over from the edge of the box.

MAN OF THE MATCH

David Silva (Manchester City) – a livewire behind the strikers, his dribbling and poise was the standout in an otherwise tired-looking City performance.

Premier League, Etihad Stadium - Manchester City 1 (Lescott 40) Arsenal 1 (Koscielny 82).

Laurent Koscielny struck with eight minutes remaining as Manchester City and Arsenal drew 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.

Arsenal impressed for much of the first half, but Joleon Lescott’s header turned the game the way of the hosts, and gave them the advantage at half time.

City had chances to put the game beyond the match in the sort of encounter Arsenal have often lost in recent seasons, but the Gunners held on and found their equaliser through Koscielny's clinical shot following a corner late on.

Both sides preserve their unbeaten starts to the season, with identical records of two wins and three draws, but Arsenal remain in front of City in fifth place by virtue of goal difference.

Koscielny, not a first choice this season for the Gunners, only started the match because Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen had been laid low by flu in the build-up to the match.

City, meanwhile, left both Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli on the substitutes' bench, with Roberto Mancini pairing Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko up front.

Arsenal made a very solid start, passing the ball around with confidence and class, even if chances were thin on the ground.

The first real test for either goalkeeper came when Aguero fired a snap shot from the edge of the area - Vito Mannone, standing in for the injured Wojciech Szczesny, could only parry it.

Two minutes later Gervinho had the first of several chances for the Gunners, played through by a weighted pass from Aaron Ramsey, only for a clunky touch to deny him so much as a shot on goal.

Lukas Podolski should also have done better when Carl Jenkinson robbed Lescott on the wing, drove to the byline and cut back, only for the German to sky his shot.

Santi Cazorla also did a great job playing Gervinho in, as did Ramsey once more, but the Ivorian got no closer than the side netting.

And Manchester City, who came into the match on the back of a 31-match unbeaten streak at home, took their chance when they got upfield.

Mannone came out to gather David Silva’s corner with no conviction, and nobody was able to prevent Lescott nodding firmly in at the far post.

The lead could have doubled moments later after Dzeko’s first-time shot from range, but this time Mannone managed a crucial fingertip save.

In the second half, the defending Premier League champions looked set to flex their muscles, with Aguero close from a tight angle, then seeing a shout for a penalty turned down with Koscielny beaten.

Gervinho, who got into excellent spaces time and again, continued to spurn half-chances and clear-cut ones alike, flashing wide at the near post with 24 minutes remaining.

But Arsenal did not give up on the game, and Arsene Wenger’s double-change, bringing on Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott for Abu Diaby and Podolski, kept the momentum up.

It might have cost them when City broke with Yaya Toure charging down the middle with 10 minutes remaining, but he held on to the ball a fraction too long and left Aguero to snatch at his shot.

And after Cazorla had tested Hart at the other end with a powerful shot from range, Koscielny was on hand to drill in an equaliser from the resulting corner.

At 1-1 both sides had opportunities to win. Aguero spurned the clearest one after Vincent Kompany had seen a spectacular overhead kick parried by Mannone, firing wide of the far post.

Then, as the game entered stoppage time, Gervinho compounded a frustrating afternoon by blazing through the middle with panache, only to splash the ball high and wide with panic.

Both sides are four points off the league leaders Chelsea in the title race, but it is the visitors who will probably be happier with the character they showed to take something from the match.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) - Even when the Gunners were behind, the accuracy and variety of Cazorla's passing made him the stand-out player on the pitch.