Charlton 0; Manchester City 3: Charlton supporters arrived hoping to be treated to some magic from Paolo Di Canio but instead saw another of the game's mavericks grab the limelight.
While Di Canio remained in the stands, not deemed fit enough for his Charlton debut, Nicolas Anelka guided Manchester City to victory.
Anelka, like Di Canio, is no stranger to controversy but the Frenchman showed throughout the first half, and in patches of the second, why clubs have paid millions of pounds for him. Having scored City's first from a penalty, he set up their next two as Charlton were outclassed.
Anelka's directness and pace made him hard to contain. He popped up on both flanks as well as down the middle and Charlton's defenders never found a solution. Shaun Wright-Phillips also impressed with his bursts from midfield and City could have won by a larger margin.
Wright-Phillips hit the bar spectacularly, Simon Royce made two good saves, and Charlton's defending was summed up by Mark Fish's 70th-minute red card for a pull on Robbie Fowler.
The dismissal merely confirmed the inevitable. Though City were grateful for a couple of smart saves by David Seaman at 2-0 as Charlton threatened to find a way back, they were the superior side. There was a fluency and speed to Kevin Keegan's team which was encapsulated by their second goal, scored by Antoine Sibierski on his Premiership debut. The clever movement of Anelka and Wright-Phillips always gave them options.
Anelka has been in the public eye for so long that it is something of a surprise to learn he is only 24. Assuming Keegan can keep him content and focused, City should enjoy the prime years of an undoubted talent.
What Anelka needs is a top-class strike-partner and Fowler did not look that. The former Liverpool player's mobility contrasted horribly with that of Anelka, who drew praise from both managers.
Alan Curbishley said Anelka looked "back to where he was at Arsenal" and Keegan was quick to nominate him as one of the Premiership's top strikers.
"In a side that struggled last year he got 15 goals and he will tell you himself he could have scored another 10," he said.
City did look a team with plenty of goals in them. They were helped on their way by a soft penalty, which Curbishley called "an absolute disgrace", and took advantage of Charlton's misplaced decision to play the first half with three at the back, constantly finding space behind their opponents' wing-backs.
Charlton finished last season poorly and have started where they left off. Hermann Hreidarsson had a debut he will want to forget, the defence was poor and there was too little verve going forward.
Jason Euell got into promising positions without finding an end product and otherwise only the substitute Claus Jensen looked likely to trouble City. On this showing Charlton will rely heavily on Di Canio, and Curbishley hopes the striker will be able to play a part against Wolves next weekend. The 35-year-old received a rapturous welcome when introduced to the crowd.
Soon, though, Charlton's optimism had evaporated. City went ahead through Anelka's penalty after Wright-Phillips skipped past Hreidarsson and fell when pushed by Scott Parker. Then a break saw Wright-Phillips send Anelka down the right and his cross was finished by Sibierski.
Charlton looked livelier at the start of the second half but any hope they had disappeared when Fish went. The defender was slow to spot Fowler's presence and was sent off after hauling him back as the last man. City's third then followed when Royce saved from Anelka and Sun Jihai scored from a tight angle.
