Premier League 2019/20: Manchester City begin title defense with thumping win over West Ham

Two-time defending Premier League champions Manchester City look primed for a three-peat following a scintillating 5-0 win at West Ham United to kickstart their 2019-20 campaign.

The win is City's 15th on the trot, continuing from their 14 consecutive wins to close out the previous season, culminating in their fourth Premier League title. City's latest streak of consecutive wins is three shy of their own record of 18 set in 2017-18.

After Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring for the Manchester club in London, Raheem Sterling scored a brace which was followed by club record scorer Sergio Aguero atoning for an earlier miss from the spot with a successful penalty.

Aguero scores from the spot

Sterling provided further gloss to the scoreline by netting his third goal of the game to finish with the first hattrick of the fledgling 2019-20 Premier League season.

It was the precocious Englishman's third hattrick of the calendar year.

Pitchside reaction from hat-trick hero @sterling7 🎥🛠 0-5 🔵 #WHUMCI #mancity pic.twitter.com/PiAFTgQOgS

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 10, 2019

City's five unanswered goals at West Ham take the defending champions top of the league on goal difference, ahead of last season's runners-up Liverpool.

City manager Guardiola acknowledges his West Ham counterpart following a comfortable City win

Manchester City's five-star performance at the London Stadium takes the club's run of consecutive away victories to eight across two seasons, which is just three short of their own Premier League record of 11 set between May and December 2017.

With the overwhelming win against West Ham, City have thrown down the gauntlet to the other Premier League contenders that the Manchester club, reinforced by expensive pre-season signings, mean cold, brutal business.

Will it be another record points haul and a third consecutive Premier League title for Guardiola's team, or will another club stymie City's ambitions?