Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City swept Huddersfield aside with an emphatic 6-1 victory on Super Sunday.
City’s all-time leading goalscorer was on target twice in the first half (25, 35), either side of a low finish from Gabriel Jesus, as the champions took total control of their first home game of the new Premier League season.
Jon Stankovic tapped in a lifeline for Huddersfield two minutes before half-time, but David Silva’s sublime free-kick re-established City’s three-goal cushion on 47 minutes.
Aguero sealed the 13th hat-trick of his Manchester City career 14 minutes from the end, before Terence Kongolo’s own goal six minutes from time completed the rout as Pep Guardiola’s side laid down an early marker in the title race.
Goalkeeper Ederson was the architect of the opening goal in the 25th minute, hitting a goal-kick long into the path of Aguero who evaded the attention of Christopher Schindler and chipped the onrushing Ben Hamer from the edge of the penalty area.
The second came six minutes later when Mendy cut in from the left and exchanged passes with Jesus before the ball ricocheted back into the path of the striker and he shot low with his left foot past Hamer’s near post.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper was slow getting down, but Aguero’s second four minutes later was even more embarrassing. Hamer palmed Mendy’s left-wing cross back out into play and the Argentine was alert to tap into an empty net.
Pep Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection, leaving out Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. They were replaced by Gabriel Jesus, Vincent Kompany and David Silva with Kevin De Bruyne injured and Leroy Sane on the bench. Jon Stankovic made his first Huddersfield appearance since March 2017.
Huddersfield somehow found a way into the game on 43 minutes when Philip Billing’s throw-in was flicked on by Steve Mounie for Stankovic to prod in from close range, but the respite was only temporary as David Silva stepped up to curl a brilliant free-kick past Hamer two minutes after half-time.
With the result beyond doubt, Aguero chased his hat-trick and went close when his left-footed long-ranger fizzed back off the post in the 57th minute and he lashed over two minutes later after a one-two with Jesus.
But his third goal arrived with his last touch of the game in the 76th minute as he expertly back-heeled Mendy’s cross across Hamer before his replacement Leroy Sane engineered a sixth goal when his close-range effort was blocked by Hamer and bounced in off the unfortunate Kongolo.
The result puts City top of the fledgling Premier League table and will leave many wondering if they can possibly be stopped in their pursuit of back-to-back titles.
City have now scored 104 goals in 39 games at home under Pep Guardiola in the Premier League.
David Silva’s strike was his first ever direct free-kick goal in a league match in the top five European Leagues, in what was also his 250th Premier League appearance.
With his assist to Aguero for the opening goal, Ederson became the first goalkeeper to assist a Premier League goal for Manchester City.
Aguero has now scored nine hat-tricks in the Premier League (level with Robbie Fowler), only Alan Shearer (11) has managed more.
Sergio Aguero was left waiting to become Manchester City’s outright all-time leading goal-scorer as his side remained five points clear at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday.
Aguero was named on the bench as City saw off West Bromwich Albion 3-2, having failed to surpass the club record of 177 goal he shares with Eric Brook during a midweek League Cup penalty shoot-out win over Championship side Wolves.
City manager Pep Guardiola blamed Aguero’s failure to score against Wolves on the different ball used in the League Cup and there were three goals in a frantic five-minute spell at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
Leroy Sane produced a stunning strike to give City a 10th-minute lead only for West Brom’s Jay Rodriguez to equalise soon afterwards.
But come the 15th minute, City were 2-1 up after Fernandinho left fly with a speculative shot that deflected off Gareth Barry and went in off the post.
City substitute Raheem Sterling gave the visitors a two-goal lead with a close-range finish in the 64th minute only for the Baggies’ to pull a goal back late on through Matt Phillips after a defensive blunder.
Second-placed Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had both started the day level on points but Jose Mourinho’s men edged ahead after substitute Anthony Martial’s goal nine minutes from time gave them a 1-0 win over a Spurs side missing injured England striker Harry Kane.
AFP
Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero, faces missing up to 11 games for his club and country, after he was involved in a car accident in Amsterdam on Thursday night.
The incident left him with a broken rib.
Aguero, who has since flown back to Manchester, could be out for up to two months.
The 29-year-old is set to miss 11 games during his enforced lay-off, including City’s trip to Chelsea tomorrow, as well as two World Cup qualifiers with Argentina.
His father, Leonel Del Castillo, told TyC Sports: “The taxi was driving very fast, Kun asked him to slow down, put on his seat belt and crashed instantly.
“He was lucky. They put him on painkillers, he was released and taken to Manchester.”
Manchester City forward, Sergio Aguero, hit a hat-trick as Pep Guardiola’s side brushed Watford aside with six goals to nil to return to the top of Premier League table.
It was a demolition from City, who were three goals to the good before half-time as Marco Silva’s side were on course to suffer a damaging home defeat.
Aguero scored twice before Gabriel Jesus added a third. The pair combined very well again after both partnered to score in the thrashing of Liverpool last weekend.
It was more of the same partnership in the second half as Nicolas Otamendi scored before Aguero dribbled past four Watford defenders to complete his hat-trick.
Raheem Sterling netted the sixth goal of the game from the penalty spot.
It brings the club’s goal tally to 11 in six days as City marched back to the top of the Premier League in style.
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