The Citizens were firmly in charge from the start, taking a 4-0 half-time lead with Bhongolethu Jayiya running riot with a hat-trick inside 16 minutes, the fastest of the PSL era.
His first came just six minutes in as he sped away down the right, before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net to give City the lead.
And just six minutes later he doubled the home side’s lead, sneaking in behind the defence to tap home a pinpoint Lebogang Manyama cross.
The home crowd had hardly returned to their seats when they were celebrating again, as Jayiya once more registered his name on the scoresheet: after his initial goal-bound header from Ibrahim Seedat’s cross was cleared, he quickly got up again to head the rebound home for just the second hat-trick in South Africa’s top-flight all season.
City continued to boss proceedings, Jayiya once again played in behind and was almost through on goal minutes later, yet Daniel Akpeyi was alert to the danger.
An injury to Mpho Matsi saw the early introduction of Given Mashikinya, while Dan Malesela tried to shake things up, bringing on Rhulani Manzini for Sello Jaftha on 27 minutes.
The Chilli Boys enjoyed more possession and created a few chances thereafter, Phetolo Sekome forcing Shu-Aib Walters into a save from a free-kick for the visitors’ best chance of the game.
Yet there would be another goal before half-time as brilliant work by Aubrey Ngoma saw him wiggle past the Chippa defense before cutting the ball back for Thamsanqa Mhize to side-foot home City’s fourth.
Eric Tinkler’s men continued their pressing game in the second stanza, and had a number of chances to score a fifth: Jayiya found himself unmarked at the back post but could only head wide, before Roland Putsche and Lehlohonolo Majoro both had shots on goal which were both easily lapped up by Akpeyi.
Chippa knew a goal was needed to restore some pride, and after a good passage of play, finally breached the host’s defence, Rhulani Manzini poking home with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Andile Mbenyane came ever so close to pulling back another, his long-range strike managing to beat Walters but not the right-hand upright in the closing stages of the game.
On the stroke of full-time, Lerato Manzini was sent for an early shower after the referee disapproved of a few unkind words uttered by the frustrated attacker.
The back of the net would bulge no more, as the five-goal thriller came to an end with the Citizens taking all three points with the 4-1 win, leapfrogging both Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits to sit a point ahead of the Clever Boys at the top of the table, albeit having played two games more.
