Raheem Sterling headed in an early opener after being found in acres of space in the box with less than four minutes on the clock before Silva fired in a second at the near post to give City a two-goal lead at the break.

The in-form Portugal midfielder then stole the show with a superb strike, cutting on to his left foot from the right and curling sweetly into the top-left corner.

Watford pulled one back through Cucho Hernandez, who steered home the rebound after his initial shot came back off the post, but the champion cruised to a victory that moved it to the summit.

City nearly took the lead when Aymeric Laporte's header from a corner was cleared off the line, but it opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Phil Foden's cross from the left was nodded in by an unmarked Sterling at the back post.

The visitors continued to carve Watford apart with ease after going in front and Daniel Bachmann was forced to make three saves, one from Sterling, two from Jack Grealish, before the 11-minute mark.

City squandered several more opportunities to extend its advantage, with Grealish particularly wasteful, before Silva lashed home from a tight angle after Bachmann had parried Ilkay Gundogan's low effort in the 31st minute.

Silva added a third in the 63rd minute with a sumptuous strike into the top corner from just inside the box that left Bachmann rooted to the spot.

Watford substitute Hernandez reduced the arrears 11 minutes later, squeezing home from a tight angle after his drilled effort across goal struck the upright and fell back into his path, but the Hornets still slumped to a third consecutive defeat.