Kevin De Bruyne has described the first half of Manchester City's meeting with Everton as the best 45-minute display produced by his side this season.

The Citizens took complete control of proceedings at Goodison Park from the off, deservedly finding themselves three goals ahead at the midway point.

Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling all netted inside the first 37 minutes, as City claimed a 3-1 victory that moves them to within one more win of the Premier League title.

De Bruyne, the only outfield ever-present for the champions elect in the league this term, insists that Everton simply had no response to his side's dominance.

"How to describe it? You feel in control. You feel like everything that is happening, you have power over... offensively, defensively. You know that you are in control," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror.

"The first half especially was the best football we have played this season. I don't know how to say it. Here, the first half especially, was something different, another level.

"They didn't know what to do. We controlled it so much, they didn't know whether to press us, whether to stay, and it was something in-between in the end.

"You could see it in their faces in the first half that they don't know what is happening... and that's why you feel in so much control I guess, when you see it on their faces."

City's final possession figure of 82.13% is the highest by an away side in a single Premier League game since such data became available in 2003.