Manchester City obliterate struggling Swansea to maintain their 11-point cushion at Premier League summit

Runaway leaders Manchester City maintained their 11-point lead at the Premier League summit after chalking up a regulation 4-0 thrashing of bottom of the table Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

City made light work of the struggling Swans as David Silva continued his rich vein of goalscoring form with a double strike – the 31-year-old has scored four in three matches — while Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero also netted.

Pep Guardiola’s side have now notched 15 successive top-flight victories and are riding high, while defeat left Swansea two points adrift of West Brom in 17th.

Second-placed Manchester United returned to winning ways after their derby defeat on Sunday, albeit with a scratchy 1-0 success over Bournemouth, to ensure the gap between themselves and City remained at 11 points.

Striker Romelu Lukaku proved the match-winner on 25 minutes after enduring a four-game goalscoring drought in the league since registering against Newcastle last month.

Liverpool slipped out of the top four after a third successive domestic home draw, this time a goalless stalemate against lowly West Brom, who clambered above Crystal Palace and out of the relegation zone. The Reds sit fifth.

Leicester secured their fourth straight win as Claude Puel returned to haunt former club Southampton, who sacked the Frenchman at the end of last season. The Foxes ran riot and defeated the Saints 4-1.

Puel did not hide his delight at the victory, which was all but sealed in the first half as goals from Riyad Mahrez, Shinji Okazaki and Andy King put Leicester 3-0 up at the break. Maya Yoshida pulled one back for the hosts before Okazaki posted his second of the night.

Another manager to gain revenge on an ex-employer was Sam Allardyce, whose revitalisation of Everton continued as a Wayne Rooney strike gave the Toffees a 1-0 triumph at Newcastle.