"Goals always give them confidence and I said before the game, it was important to see the same team we saw on Sunday, the same philosophy, the same high performance, even if we change the names."
Fernandinho, the one survivor from the United victory, set the rout in motion with a magnifcently-weighted pass over the static Wigan back line that allowed Edin Dzeko to slide in and convert past debutant goalkeeper Lee Nicholls after 33 minutes.
Despite Wigan failing to force a save out of Costel Pantilimon over the course of the entire game, it was only on the hour that the outcome was put beyond all reasonable doubt as Stevan Jovetic scored his first, and a fortunate, goal for the club with his shot from a Micah Richards cross ricocheting off himself and into the net following Nicholls' block.
Toure's free-kick, after 75 minutes, sparked a glut of three goals in 10 minutes as Jovetic claimed a second after Ryan Shotton had succeeded only in diverting a James Milner cross directly to his feet.
Five minutes from time, substitutes Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas linked with devastating effect, the former slipping through a pass which the latter struck past Nicholls, first time, from a dozen or so yards.
"They made 10 changes and still had a team worth £200 million," said Wigan manager Owen Coyle. "Then you look at their bench and the three subs they brought on probably added £100 million to it.
"We're in the Europa League and have to play 60 games this season, which is a lot for a Championship club. We have to prioritise."
Match details
Manchester City (4-2-3-1) Pantilimon; Richards, Boyata, Lescott, Clichy; Fernandinho (Toure 46), J Garcia; Milner, Lopes (Navas 71), Jovetic; Dzeko (Negredo 79).
Subs Wright, Nastasic, Nasri, Kolarov.
Wigan Athletic (4-1-4-1) Nicholls; Boyce, Rogne, Barnett (Shotton 59), Crainey (Redmond 68); Espinoza; Gomez, McCann, Fyvie, J-C Garcia; Dicko (Powell 80).
Subs Carson, McClean, McArthur, Buxton.
Booked Barnett, Fyvie.
Referee K Friend (Leicester).
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