Kevin De Bruyne was immediately back on the scoresheet after making his Manchester City return, netting the second goal as his side thumped Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday.
The 24-year-old's last appearance for Manuel Pellegrini's men came in January when he sustained a knee injury, but was named in City's starting XI at the Vitality Stadium.
The visitors were immediately on the front foot as Fernando turned home a wonderful cushioned header from Jesus Navas' corner, before De Bruyne finished off a slick move involving Sergio Aguero and David Silva after Bournemouth gave the ball away.
Navas was again instrumental in setting up City's third, floating in a cross from the right which Aguero rose highest to meet.
After that, the fourth-placed outfit remained untroubled and added a fourth as the clock ticked down through Aleksandar Kolarov, who smashed in a trademark piledriver.
City sit three points ahead of West Ham in fourth and will look ruefully upon the run of two wins from seven matches without De Bruyne that all but ended their Premier League title ambitions.
Lewis Grabban and Eunan O'Kane replaced the injured Benik Afobe and Harry Arter in the Bournemouth line-up.
De Bruyne returned as one of five changes to the City side that lost 1-0 to United in the Manchester derby.
Josh King pulled a shot across the face of goal on the end of a fifth-minute Bournemouth counter-attack but Willy Caballero, deputising for calf-injury victim Joe Hart in the City goal, was a virtual spectator as his team-mates ran riot during the opening stages.
Fernando reacted quickest to guide Navas' deflected seventh-minute corner into the net and De Bruyne's revitalising impact on a City attack without a goal in their previous three outings was already clear by the time he added a spectacular second.
Silva darted on to Aguero's chipped pass and cushioned a first-time flick for De Bruyne to fire home a volley on the edge of the box.
The Belgium international might have doubled his tally when he lashed a shot over following slick interplay down the left from Silva and Gael Clichy, but Aguero was on hand to pile further misery on Howe's side.
Navas dug out an excellent cross from the right byline for the Argentina striker to muscle above Adam Smith and head in at the far post.
Fernandinho rattled Artur Boruc's crossbar with a vicious dipping drive before Caballero was finally called into action, making a sharp reaction save to deny Charlie Daniels.
Within a minute of the restart, Boruc saved brilliantly when De Bruyne showed exquisite technique to arrow a volley towards the bottom corner.
The former Wolfsburg man continued to impress before making way for Kolarov to a warm ovation in the 57th-minute.
O'Kane dragged a shot wide as he sought a consolation for Bournemouth, who are now 13th and 11 points above third-bottom Sunderland,
Kolarov linked up with Samir Nasri - making his first appearance since October due to injury - to dart through a flagging Bournemouth defence and rifle number four with the game's final act.
But it is De Bruyne's re-emergence that will leave City in buoyant mood ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final trip to Paris Saint-Germain. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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