Manchester City's perfect start to the season continued this evening as they beat title rivals Liverpool 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

A goal either side of half time from Stevan Jovetic and a second-half strike from sub Sergio Aguero were enough for the hosts to claim all three points, despite a late Rickie Lambert strike handing Liverpool the slimmest of lifelines.

Here, Sports Mole assesses who impressed and who disappointed during an absorbing match in Manchester.

Goal

Joe Hart: Did his best to keep the goal out but just couldn't prevent it going over the line. Other than that, didn't have much to do apart from a couple of routine stops to deny Sturridge. (7/10)

Defence

Pablo Zabaleta: May well be credited with an own goal instead of it being given to Lambert, but Zabaleta couldn't really do anything about it deflecting off him. Another solid display from the full-back. (6/10)

Vincent Kompany: Was beaten by Sturridge twice inside the box, but other than that allowed the Liverpool attack very little joy. (7/10)

Martin Demichelis: Also contributed to a good defensive effort that frustrated and nullified Liverpool's normally potent attack. (7/10)

Gael Clichy: Provided a useful outlet down the left flank when City were coming forward and also fulfilled his duties defensively. (6/10)

Midfield

Samir Nasri: Didn't get too many chances to shine but did provide the assist for the second goal, pulling the ball back for Jovetic to fire home. (7/10)

Yaya Toure: As ever, a powerful presence in midfield. However, like last week, he didn't have his usual impact and failed to provide the type of moments that we know he is capable of. Good, solid display, but still short of his best. (7/10)

Fernando: Strong performance in the middle of park, keeping the likes of Coutinho quiet for long periods. Fast becoming an important cog in this team. (7/10)

David Silva: Unable to pull the strings as he often does. Liverpool did a good job of keeping the Spaniard quiet before he was taken off in the 65th minute. (6/10)

Attack

Edin Dzeko: Proved to be a handful at times but didn't really have a huge impact on proceedings. Was forced off with what looked like a minor injury in the 68th minute. (6/10)

Stevan Jovetic: A real statement of intent. The most dangerous player on the park, as his two goals are testament to. Took both well and showed great skill in the build-up to the second too. (9/10)

Substitutes

Jesus Navas: Replaced Silva with 25 minutes remaining and had a telling impact, playing a lovely ball through for Aguero's goal. (8/10)

Sergio Aguero: Scored just 23 seconds after coming on as a sub, finishing with aplomb having been played through by Navas. Looks to be nearing full fitness again. (8/10)

Fernandinho: Came on for the final 10 minutes and added an extra body in midfield to protect City's comfortable lead. (6/10)

Goal

Simon Mignolet: Could not do anything about the first two goals but will perhaps be upset with his positioning for the third. City scored with three of their four shots on target, so not a great evening for the keeper. (5/10)

Defence

Glen Johnson: Solid display from Johnson defensively, although he struggled to have his usual impact in attack. Was forced off late on through injury, leaving Liverpool with 10 men. (6/10)

Martin Skrtel: Strong at the back all game, dealing with the physical presence of Dzeko. Was not at fault for any of the goals, but will still be upset at having conceded three times. (6/10)

Dejan Lovren: Struggled at times this evening, particularly in the build-up to the first goal when his downward header didn't do much to alleviate the danger. Was ultimately not at fault for the goal, but didn't help matters either. (6/10)

Alberto Moreno: Hesitated with his clearance for the opening goal, allowing Jovetic to steal in and score. Was pretty solid other than that, but it was a costly mistake from the debutant. (5/10)

Midfield

Jordan Henderson: Was fairly anonymous for large parts of the game, failing to ever really trouble the City defence. (6/10)

Steven Gerrard: Kept things ticking over in midfield and played a few trademark long balls forward, but was unable to exert his usual influence on the game. (6/10)

Joe Allen: Much like Henderson, didn't really have much of an impact on the game before being brought off with 15 minutes remaining. (6/10)

Attack

Raheem Sterling: Liverpool's brightest player once again. He made a couple of good runs behind the defence in the first half and looked sharp on the ball throughout. Wasn't given enough chances to shine, though. (7/10)

Daniel Sturridge: Manufactured two half chances for himself with good footwork inside the box, but found himself faced with a tight angle on both occasions. (7/10)

Philippe Coutinho: Popped up in some good positions in the first half but failed to make the most of them. His influence on the game waned as time went on and he was eventually subbed on the hour mark. (6/10)

Substitutes

Lazar Markovic: Made a difference when he came on for Coutinho as Liverpool enjoyed a mini-resurgence, but that was soon stamped out by City. Other than that, not many chances for the debutant. (6/10)

Emre Can: Was booked one minute after coming on and was fortunate not to pick up a second yellow for an embarrassing dive in the latter stages. Solid performance, but he loses a mark for his theatrics. (5/10)

Rickie Lambert: Will claim the goal despite the possibility that it came off Zabaleta before going in. Either way, made a difference having replaced Sterling with just over 10 minutes left. Could have made things very interesting shortly after Liverpool's goal when he had another chance, but he went for a pass inside of shooting. (7/10)