Victory number 34 from 41 games for Pep Guardiola and while there will be more difficult assignments ahead in the Champions League, this was an emphatic statement of intent.
Manchester City have all but secured their place in the quarter-finals and will be a team to fear across Europe after another rampant performance continued Guardiola’s pursuit of total excellence.
It felt like the night when City sent out a message to rival heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, as FC Basel’s previously impressive record against English opposition was ripped up.
The second leg at the Etihad Stadium in early March is almost an irrelevance, after Guardiola’s quadruple hunters scored three goals in the opening 23 minutes here.
Sergio Aguero was inevitably among the scorers and has now claimed 198 goals in a City jersey; few would bet against him reaching his double century against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Monday night.
There were also returns from injury for Leroy Sane, David Silva and Fabian Delph to ensure a stress-free evening for Guardiola against the Swiss champions. He is clearly in contention for his third Champions League trophy as a manager.
