Divin Mubama scored a hat-trick - his first goals for Stoke City since the middle of August
Divin Mubama scored a hat-trick and set up another goal as superb Stoke City thumped Bristol City 5-1 to go third in the Championship.
The Manchester City loanee gave the Potters the perfect start when he scored from close range in the opening minutes.
He pounced on an error by Bristol City goalkeeper Radek Vitek to tap in a second before playing a one-two with Million Manhoef who curled in Stoke's third.
Less than 90 seconds into the second half Stoke made it 4-0 thanks to an excellent individual goal by Junior Tchamadeu.
Mubama claimed the match ball when he blasted in the fifth midway through the second half, before Mark Sykes got a late consolation goal for the visitors.
The result ended Bristol City's impressive three-game winning run, during which they had conceded just once.
The Robins slip to fifth place in the table as Stoke leapfrogged them with their third win in four games.
Divin Mubama pounced on Radek Vitek's mistake to double Stoke's lead
The Potters made just one change to their starting line-up as Tchamadeu returned at right-back in place of Maksym Talovierov, and it proved to be an inspired decision.
The Cameroon defender got past Neto Borges and fired in a powerful low cross that Manchester City loanee Mubama fired in from six yards.
The Robins responded well to going behind as they forced a number of corner kicks. George Tanner's decent effort was deflected wide, while Rob Dickie went close with a header.
But Mubama continued to impress as he glanced a 19th-minute header over the bar before getting his second in fortuitous circumstances. Manhoef's overhit pass seemed to be routinely gathered by Vitek, but the ball hit his knee as he slid to claim it and squirmed to the feet of Mubama who rolled it into the empty net.
Three minutes later he turned provider as Manhoef cut in from the right and exchanged passes with Mubama on the edge of the box before arching a left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
To the Robins' credit they did not buckle as Anis Mehmeti's low shot forced a good save from Viktor Johansson, while Sykes had an effort deflected over.
But any hopes they had that they might get back into the game were snuffed out almost as soon as the second half kicked off.
First Stoke thought they should have had a penalty kick when Lewis Baker appeared to be fouled by Rob Atkinson, but after the ball was cleared, Tchamadeu galloped down the right wing, beat two men and fired low into the bottom corner.
The visitors did not give up - Mehmeti, Ross McCrorie and Sinclair Armstrong had chances after the fourth goal - but Stoke never looked in any danger.
They got a fifth goal when Lamine Cisse put Mubama through and the 21-year-old powerfully found the net from 12 yards, while Sorba Thomas saw his effort to get a sixth palmed away soon after.
But Sykes got a consolation goal that Bristol City's attacking efforts more than deserved when he flicked on Yu Hirakawa's corner kick at the near post and it looped into the net.
Stoke City manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:
"The way we set about things, the intent was there, but the quality was there.
"The understanding from the players, that interplay, the exchange of passes and movement, and the intensity to go and do their jobs in and out of possession.
"They were unbeaten away from home this season before today, they're a good team. We've had probably one of the best performances at home since I came in.
"We talk about the incremental improvements, and you could see today there was a vast improvement, not just incremental.
"The thing for us is to not worry about having to repeat that, because we've seen lots and lots of really good repetitive things in games where we've been really good and smart. Today we were smarter than before."
Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:
"This is the Championship and I think the Championship shows us, and especially Stoke City today showed us, a face where we had a lot of problems.
"It's a really good learning point and a really good realisation of what's going on in this league when you're not on the highest level.
"We were not ready in our synchronised pressing, we were not ready to be sharp in transition, and I think they deserved the victory on this level.
"We were not sharp enough for this level and the good thing is we have to learn, we have to reflect, and we have to be very honest with ourselves.
"Everything that can go worst went worst today, but Tuesday night is waiting and we have to do everything right now that we bounce back on Tuesday night with our typical face."
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