Referee Neil Swarbrick took the gloss off Manchester City's return to winning ways as the Premier League suffered yet another mistaken identity controversy.
Swarbrick incorrectly sent off West Brom's Gareth McAuley for a foul by teammate Craig Dawson on Wilfried Bony in the second minute of what proved a comfortable 3-0 win for City at the Etihad Stadium.
City took full advantage of more than 88 minutes of numerical supremacy, easing to victory with goals from January signing Bony - his first for the club - Fernando and David Silva.
The result was just what City -- and under-fire manager Manuel Pellegrini -- needed after a harrowing week in which their title defence was ravaged by relegation battlers Burnley and they were dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona.
But regardless of the outcome, Swarbrick ensured the headlines would be all about him as he incorrectly gave McAuley his marching orders. It was the second apparent case of mistaken identity in the top flight in three weeks and the third in a year, after other incidents involving Sunderland and Arsenal.
Few could deny Swarbrick would have been right to dismiss Dawson after Bony broke clear and was bundled over just outside the box. But confusion followed as Bony attempted to play on and was knocked over again, this time by McAuley in the area.
Swarbrick, however, had already blown for a free kick outside the box, meaning that Dawson, number 25, and not McAuley, 23, should have been the recipient of any red card.
City did not dwell on the issue and took full advantage of what was a gift.
They had the game all but wrapped up before the interval with Bony capitalising on their dominance to open the scoring after 27 minutes and Fernando doubling the lead after 40.
The only surprise was that it took so long to score. That owed much to brilliant West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill who, playing in place of the injured Ben Foster, saved well from Silva, Jesus Navas and Sergio Aguero.
Frank Lampard, making his first start since Jan. 4, was also wayward with three attempts from good positions.
The opener finally came after a Fernando shot was blocked by Jonas Olsson and spun in the direction of Bony, who hooked the ball down on the turn and lifted into the roof of the net.
Olsson also played an unwitting role in the second goal, getting in Myhill's way after James Morrison fluffed a chance to clear a corner. The ball broke to Fernando and he stabbed home from six yards.
Statistics at half-time indicated 80 percent possession to City with 24 shots, while West Brom had not mustered a single effort on goal.
The second half began in much the same manner as Myhill twice denied Aguero and kept out another good effort from Silva. The woodwork also twice came to the Baggies' rescue as Aguero rattled a post and Bony struck the crossbar from the rebound.
Substitute Stevan Jovetic also curled an effort just wide before West Brom finally showed some attacking intent to win a corner. Olsson nodded on the resulting cross and Saido Berahino headed against the bar before former City player Joleon Lescott put the rebound over.
But any thoughts West Brom might still be able to breathe life into the game were dispelled 14 minutes from time as Silva diverted home a Jovetic shot after good build-up play.
It completed the most routine of victories but the repercussions of the game could be felt for some time yet. To City's relief after much questioning of their mettle lately, they will have nothing to do with them.
Olivier Giroud's first-half double handed Arsenal a sixth successive Premier League victory as they survived a spirited fightback to win 2-1 at Newcastle.
The Frenchman struck twice inside four minutes to leave the Magpies with a mountain to climb and the home fans among a crowd of 50,543 fearing the worst.
But John Carver's depleted side more than made a fist of it after the break, with Moussa Sissoko's 48th-minute goal dragging them back into it and changing the shape of the game.
However, despite their best efforts to reel in Arsene Wenger's men who are plotting a late charge to force their way into the title race, Newcastle were unable to find the equaliser their belated show of courage warranted.
Fabricio Coloccini's red card at Everton last weekend - for which he apologised to home fans in the match programme - meant he was missing from a rearguard already ripped apart by injury, and Carver had little option but to make do and mend.
He moved right-back Daryl Janmaat into the middle to partner his only fit senior central defender Mike Williamson, and asked midfielders Ryan Taylor and Jack Colback to fill in at right and left-back respectively.
The plan was makeshift in the extreme, and it was not long before it was cruelly exposed as Arsenal eased into their stride.
Newcastle actually created the first real opening with two minutes gone when Sissoko broke from his own half and fed striker Ayoze Perez, who stepped inside defender Gabriel Paulista but saw his shot blocked.
But with Aaron Ramsey probing and linking with Giroud, and Alexis Sanchez relishing his head-to-head with Colback, Arsenal pinned the Magpies back with Sanchez seeing a 13th-minute shot blocked by Taylor before Ramsey miscontrolled when through on goal.
The visitors took the lead with 24 minutes gone when Giroud reacted first after Danny Welbeck flicked on Santi Cazorla's free-kick, sparking a siege on the Newcastle goal.
Welbeck volleyed wide and then allowed the ball to squirm away from him after being played in by Giroud, but the respite was only temporary for the home side, who contributed to their own downfall with 28 minutes on the clock.
Williamson became involved in a wrestling match as the pair awaited Cazorla's corner, and when the ball eventually reached the goalmouth Frenchman Giroud was able to head past goalkeeper Tim Krul despite neither man leaving the ground.
The Magpies looked dead and buried, but they rallied as the half drew to a close with Nacho Monreal blocking Remy Cabella's goal-bound 39th-minute header at the end of an extended period of pressure.
But the boos which ushered the home side from the field were transformed into cheers within three minutes of the restart when Taylor and Cabella twice exchanged passes down the right before the Frenchman crossed for skipper Sissoko to sweep the ball past the helpless David Ospina and reduce the deficit.
The Magpies were instantly reinvigorated and Perez twice fired wide from long distance as Arsenal wobbled in the face of concerted pressure.
Ospina had to be at his best to beat away Williamson's header from a Taylor corner after it clipped Sissoko on its way to goal, and Janmaat blasted a long-range effort just wide seconds later with the home side enjoying their most productive period of the game.
Cabella embarked upon a mazy charge through the visitors' defence with 16 minutes remaining, but he was driven wide and Ospina proved equal to his clipped left-footed shot.
Substitute Jonas Gutierrez announced his arrival with a powerful surge into the penalty area, but his driven cross eluded the black and white shirts as it sped across goal, and Krul had to block a Welbeck effort at his near post as the game opened up.
Referee Mike Jones waved away strong appeals for an 82nd-minute penalty after Cabella went down under Laurent Koscielny's challenge, with the defender less than impressed, and Ospina had to make a fine reaction save to keep out Perez's deflected 87th-minute shot with his leg as the Magpies battled all the way to the whistle.
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