Sergio Aguero hattrick gets City back to winning ways
PREMIER LEAGUE Leaders restore their lead at the top to 12 points after beating Newcastle United
LONDON: It was back to thrilling business as usual for Manchester City on Saturday as Sergio Aguero’s hat-trick helped the Premier League leaders to a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United.
Pep Guardiola demanded a response from his table-toppers following the 4-3 loss to Liverpool last Sunday that ended their unbeaten start to the league season. The City manager got just that as the hosts dominated, despite Newcastle making it interesting for a while in the second half thanks to Jacob Murphy’s fine finish.
City are again 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United thanks to a ruthless performance capped by the brilliant Aguero, their all-time leading scorer, whose 11th hat-trick for the club took his tally for the season to 22 goals.
Newcastle looked sharper at the start as Christian Atsu snatched at a great chance just 90 seconds in,failing to connect properly when well positioned.
After 16 minutes, Leroy Sane had a glorious chance to open the scoring as he squirmed through the area before Javier Manquillo’s last-ditch tackle.
A minute later, City were denied what seemed a good goal as Raheem Sterling swept home following a ball from Silva at the back post. But Sterling was adjudged to be offside, although replays suggested he was not.
To their credit, Newcastle kept the game scoreless until they succumbed 11 minutes before the break.
As City attacked, De Bruyne delivered a fine cross from the left and Aguero got the faintest of touches to a header that slid past Karl Darlow The second half followed the same pattern, with City repeatedly on the attack and any hopes Newcastle had of earning a point seemed to evaporate when Manquillo hauled down Sterling.
Aguero blasted the ensuing penalty past Darlow to double City’s advantage.
Yet, almost immediately, City were caught napping at the back and Murphy raced through on goal and lifted the ball over Ederson to halve the deficit.
However, with seven minutes remaining, City secured the three points -- and settled their nerves -when Sane went on a mazy 30-yard run that sucked in most of Newcastle’s defence before he squared into the middle of the box where Aguero calmly completed his latest treble.
KANE EARNS SPURS A POINT
Harry Kane moved to 99 Premier League goals with a headed equaliser to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw in a scrappy match at Southampton on Sunday.
Southampton remain in the relegation zone after their winless run was extended to 11 matches while Spurs missed the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
chance to move into the Champions League places.
Southampton - who dropped into the bottom three on Saturday took the lead after making a bright start, the unfortunate Davinson Sanchez directing a low Ryan Bertrand cross into his own goal.
Kane levelled three minutes
later, heading in a Ben Davies corner, and the League’s top goalscorer should have won it in the final minute but dragged a leftfooted chance wide.
After failing to win at his old club, Mauricio Pochettino’s men lost ground in the race for topfour spots, sitting two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.