Emmanuel Adebayor silenced the taunts of Arsenal fans as he inspired Manchester City to a fourth successive Premier League victory - but sparked fury among his former supporters inside Eastlands with a provocative solo goal celebration.
Adebayor caused chaotic scenes in the Arsenal section of support when he raced the length of the pitch to slide on his knees in front of the visiting fans after heading City's crucial third goal to wrap up the win.
The former Arsenal striker, who completed an acrimonious £25.5m move from the Emirates before the start of the season, was booked by referee Mark Clattenburg and may not have heard the last of an ill-judged reaction after the situation in the crowd briefly threatened to boil over.
Adebayor also appeared to kick out at Robin van Persie during an eventful second-half and his antics took some of the gloss off a City performance that demonstrated there is genuine substance to the expensive refit of their squad under manager Mark Hughes.
City took the lead after 20 minutes when Micah Richards' header was unluckily deflected in by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia off an upright.
Van Persie put Arsenal back in contention with a low finish just after the hour - but City then struck three times in 10 minutes to add to the growing belief inside Eastlands that they can mount a serious challenge to the top four this season.
Craig Bellamy turned Richards' cross past Almunia before Adebayor showed the more acceptable face of his character with a towering header from Shaun Wright-Phillips' cross.
Eastlands was in pandemonium when Wright-Phillips turned home City's fourth, and Tomas Rosicky's late goal mattered little as Arsenal collapsed in alarming fashion.
If City and boss Hughes were looking for an accurate measure of their prospects this season, then this deserved win will send optimism coursing through Eastlands.
City showed attacking verve, especially in the shape of Adebayor and Bellamy - even with Carlos Tevez injured and Robinho sidelined for up to a month with a stress fracture just above his ankle - but perhaps more importantly showed the character to dig their way out of adversity when Arsenal threatened to take control.
And with a Manchester derby looming at Old Trafford next Sunday, City will travel to face their arch-rivals in great heart.
Adebayor received a predictably hostile reception from Arsenal's travelling support - and his former team-mates looked in the mood to make him regret what he had left behind in the opening exchanges.
Manchester City, with £24m new boy Joleon Lescott taking time to settle on his home debut and earning a yellow card for a foul on Van Persie, struggled to establish any control and should have fallen behind when the unmarked William Gallas headed over from Cesc Fabregas' corner.
The complexion of the game altered when City took the lead in fortuitous circumstances after 20 minutes. Richards did well to rise and head powerfully towards goal, but the final touch came off unfortunate Arsenal keeper Alumnia, who turned his effort on to an upright but then saw it bounce back in off his head.
Arsenal's early superiority evaporated in the face of that setback and City were able to exert a measure of superiority without putting the Gunners' defence under serious pressure.
Boss Arsene Wenger wasted no time in making a change after the interval, waiting only seven minutes before replacing Denilson with Rosicky after the injury-plagued star played his first competitive match for 20 months in the Czech Republic's 7-0 win against San Marino in midweek.
The effect was almost instant - even though Rosicky was not involved. Gallas again met a corner, this time from Van Persie, but City keeper Shay Given made a vital block and Nicklas Bendtner shot the rebound wildly across the face of goal.
Arsenal were turning up the tempo and playing on City's inability to keep possession, with Given forced to excel again from Thomas Vermaelen's shot.
The pressure looked certain to pay, and so it proved after 62 minutes when Van Persie's low shot flew just beyond the reach of Given and into the bottom corner.
City showed great strength of character to regain their composure, and the lead, with 16 minutes left as Bellamy swept a finish high past Almunia.
The moment Adebayor craved arrived after 80 minutes - but it was a moment of joy the striker marred with a celebration that was both foolish and highly-provocative.
He rose magnificently to head his fourth goal in successive league games past Almunia, but then sprinted the length of the field, unaccompanied by his team mates, to slide on his knees in front of enraged Arsenal fans.
It was an act that caused chaos in the Arsenal section of Eastlands as order was eventually restored - but Adebayor was rightly shown the yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg.
Arsenal's misery deepened four minutes later when Wright-Phillips rounded off more good work from the tireless Bellamy, and Rosicky's late goal was of no consolation.
City's fans celebrated wildly and deservedly at the final whistle, but it will be the celebration of Adebayor that will also claim unwanted headlines.
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