Kevin de Bruyne didn't need a goal to confirm his status as Man of the Match – but he provided one anyway.

On a day when Bernardo Silva scored a hat-trick, David Silva rolled back the years and Riyad Mahrez was virtually unplayable, De Bruyne rose head and shoulders above anyone else in blue.

Displays like this only emphasise how impressive Manchester City's domestic treble was last season, given the Belgian's injury-ravaged campaign.

He was reduced to a spectator's role for much of the season, yet Pep Guardiola's team still racked up 98 points and held off the challenge of Liverpool.

Just how much better would they have been with their best player available?

A treble may have become a quadruple. And in this kind of form, he may just provide that little bit extra required to triumph in the Champions League.

Domestically, at least, he is without equal when it comes to delivery.

That was perfectly demonstrated with his arching cross to the back post, which saw Silva begin this 8-0 rout inside a minute.

The devastating accuracy of his passing and crossing remains Guardiola's most lethal weapon.

To watch him pick out one run after another is like watching a golfer homing in on the hole with a nine iron.

It's on the money every time – and for defenders there is no answer.

De Bruyne ran the show – be it with driving runs from midfield or first-time crosses from the right, Watford were pummelled into submission.

His pass set Mahrez free in the box when Ben Foster was panicked into bringing the Algeria winger down for a penalty, which Sergio Aguero dispatched in the seventh minute.

From there on in, his fingerprints were all over City's relentless attacks.

His crashing effort from the edge of the box in the 85th-minute only crowned his scintillating performance - and strengthened his claim to Eden Hazard's vacant throne as the finest player on these shores right now.

Remarkable then that he was hardly missed last term.

That was largely due to the brilliance of Bernardo – who, with three goals here, would have stolen the show on just about any other day than this.

City’s insatiable hunger for goals

At 5-0 up inside 18 minutes – the fastest any club has racked up such a lead in Premier League history – City's desire for more was plain to see.

There was no sense of taking their foot off the pedal or letting Watford off the hook.

Mahrez, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo and Aguero all pressed high up to the edge of the 18-yard box, just waiting for the next opening.

In the wake of last week's shock defeat to Norwich there has been plenty of talk about hunger and desire to maintain the standards that have won back-to-back titles and five of the last six domestic trophies.

But if City are to relinquish their crown this season it will not be down to lack of appetite.

Guardiola simply won't allow that – and their insatiable drive to reach new heights seeps through the pores of every player.

It was evident against League One Burton in last season's EFL Cup semi-final. At 9-0, they went in search of 10.

Against Watford in the FA Cup final – leading 6-0 going into stoppage time at Wembley, there was John Stones charging up the pitch in search of a seventh.

That is the beauty of this team – and why they are the dominant force in English football. Guardiola is never satisfied – and he will know that an 8-0 win could have been far more emphatic. Seriously.

United's record is in sight

Aguero rubbed his eyes as he left the pitch.

Only he will know how he ended the day with just the one goal to his name.

On a day when he became the first Premier League player to score in each of the opening six games of the season, he will be left ruing the ones that got away.

If the Argentina international had been anywhere near his devastating best, he would have walked away with a hat-trick at least – and City would have claimed a record score-line in the Premier League.

As it was, Guardiola had to settle for 8-0 – but on this evidence Manchester United's 9-0 against Ipswich in 1995 may not stand for too much longer.