Manchester City 3-0 Fulham: Leroy Sane inspires champions to victory after returning to the side as David Silva and Raheem Sterling also net in win to maintain 100 per cent start to the new campaign

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Believe it or not, Pep Guardiola doesn't always get things his own way. It's just he doesn't make a fuss like Jose Mourinho across Manchester.

When United outbid City for Alexis Sanchez in January, Guardiola shrugged his shoulders and moved on. When a young player like Leroy Sane tested his patience earlier this season, Guardiola delivered a short, sharp lesson rather than issuing a drawn-out public humiliation like those dished out at Old Trafford to Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial.

On Saturday, Guardiola got his reward. Leroy Sane, dropped from City's last game for lacking focus in training and then criticised by German team-mate Toni Kroos for poor body language, was welcomed back into the fold as a new Dad and took only 98 seconds to mark his return with a goal.

Leroy Sane (R) was brought back into the squad after a brief exile and marked it with a goal as Manchester City beat Fulham

David Silva got in on the act soon after as Pep Guardiola's side blew newly-promoted Fulham away to keep up a perfect start

The Cottagers were caught out at the back and Marcus Bettinelli could do nothing as Sane calmly slotted in the first goal

Experienced midfielder Silva added to Fulham's woes midway through the half as he clipped the ball into the roof of the net

Raheem Sterling, who returned from the injury that ruled him out of England duty, added a third goal early in the second half 

The winger, who was a handful all afternoon, had the simple task of firing home after smart work from striker Sergio Aguero

It set up a comfortable victory for City to maintain their 100 per cent home record this season and stay within two points of leaders Chelsea and Liverpool.

Remarkably, Guardiola hasn't lost a match in September since 2010 but his thoughts afterwards were to offer an olive branch to 22-year-old Sane, last season's PFA Young Player of the Year but a strangely out-of-sorts character at the start of this campaign.

'Even in this period, we've never doubted the quality of Leroy Sane. He showed us so many times last season,' said Guardiola. 'But we can not forget that young players have ups and downs. He is still only 22 and these kind of things happen.

'He has to realise himself what he needs to do as a professional and what he wants to do. I am delighted with his performance today and big compliments to him.' 

Wearing an all-black outfit, Guardiola cut an animated character despite the ease with which his side dismantled the visitors

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (left) watches on with a smile alongside chief executive Ferran Soriano

MATCH FACTS FROM THE ETIHAD STADIUM, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

Manchester City: Ederson 7, Walker 6, Otamendi 6, Laporte 6.5, Delph 6 (Gundogan 67, 6), Bernardo Silva 6.5, Fernandinho 7, Silva 8, Sterling 7 (Mahrez 74, 6), Aguero 7.5 (Gabriel Jesus 54, 6), Sane 7.

Subs not used: Stones, Zinchenko, Foden, Muric.

Goals: Sane (2), Silva (21), Sterling (47)

Fulham: Bettinelli 6, Christie 7, Odoi 5.5, Mawson 5, Ryan Sessegnon 5.5, Seri 5 (Zambo Anguissa 56, 6), McDonald 5.5, Johansen 6, Schurrle 7, Mitrovic 5.5, Vietto 6 (Ayite 69, 6). 

Subs not used: Chambers, Le Marchand, Fosu-Mensah, Bryan, Ramirez.

Attendance: 53,307

Referee: Stuart Attwell 6

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Raheem Sterling has Sergio Aguero to thank as the Argentine striker got the ball and burst into the area before putting it on a plate for the winger. CLICK HERE for more from Sportsmail's Match Zone.

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Sane, who resembles a rock n'roll star with his pile of dark hair and cutting edge wardrobe, left the last international camp to attend the birth of his first child last week, a girl.

'It's been a fantastic week for me, I became a daddy! We also played a good game today and we won.

'I'm relaxed at the moment, I train hard and when the manager gives me an opportunity I show him what I can do. The next game on Wednesday (against Lyon in the Champions League) is really important.' Sane described the noise around his early-season difficulties as "rumours".

Guardiola had won all eight previous Premier League games he'd presided over in this month. And a ninth was virtually assured inside two minutes thanks to a gift from Fulham.

When goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli played a short pass out of his penalty area, City pounced with the high press.

Within seconds, Jean Michael Serri had been pressured into playing a short ball to Dennis Odoi midway inside his own half. Fernandinho intercepted and charged towards the penalty area before delivering a low cross that isolated Bettinelli in no-man's land and allowed Sane the simplest of tap-ins.

City went through the gears for the rest of the first half with Fulham's boss Slavisa Jokanovic admitting: 'It was a fair result. They are one of the best attacking teams in Europe with those weapons.' 

The Cottagers looked to find a route back into the game through Germany World Cup winner Andre Schurrle but to no avail

Nicolas Otamendi played well to keep the door locked at the back - here he slides in to deny Fulham starlet Ryan Sessengon

Kyle Walker showed strength to hold off the English prospect on what was a tough afternoon for the newly-promoted side

Raheem Sterling raced through and hit the crossbar when his finish deflected off the inside of Bettinelli's leg and freakishly ricocheted upwards.

It only delayed the inevitable. Sterling fed Bernardo Silva after 21 minutes who squared to Sergio Aguero. When the Argentine's shot was blocked by Odoi, the ball reared up onto David Silva's chest before he tucked it home off the underside of the bar.

As Silva celebrated to mark his 350th City appearance, Fulham's 18-year-old left-back Ryan Sessegnon was left to rue how tough the Premier League can be after being caught out of position.

To Fulham's credit, Andre Schurrle twice forced Ederson into saves shortly before the interval.

But their good work was undone quickly after the restart when Sergio Aguero skinned Alfie Mawson down the right and crossed low for Sterliing to slide home from close range.

At 3-0, City took their foot off the gas with Wednesday's Champions League tie against Lyon in mind. Guardiola didn't seem best pleased by that, complaining; 'When you choose control over scoring more goals, often you lose control.' 

With rotation part of life at Manchester City, summer arrival Riyad Mahrez cut a frustrated figure sitting on the subs bench

City had mascots with a twist for Fulham's visit as Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho walked out with 97-year-old Olga Holden

But she was one of the younger ones as David Silva had the honour of walking out with 102-year-old Vera Cohen on Saturday

But Fulham rarely looked like getting back into the game and Guardiola himself took off Aguero, who had an ankle knock, and Sterling for rest. The highly-rated local midfielder Phil Foden, 18, wasn't among the substitutes used but the City manager promised afterwards: 'I feel guilty (about not putting him on) but he will play a lot of games this season'

City have scored 19 goals in their last six home games though Guardiola always seems to wants more.

'3-0 is a good result but we created a lot of chances to score six or seven. It is clear we need to be more clinical,' he said.

His man-management qualities then kicked in to give effusive praise to Bernardo Silva who doesn't always get the same credit dished out to big stars like Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.

'I don't forget his (good) behaviour last season when he wasn't playing all the time. He is an example. If I stay here, he will stay here.'

That's Pep's way of explaining to Sane what he needs to do to flourish at Manchester City. He believes it's more effective than a harsh rollocking.'