Aguero breaks record as City thrashes Chelsea
LONDON: Manchester City looked every bit the champion in a 60 demolition of Chelsea that moved it back atop the English Premier League yesterday.
Sergio Aguero’s recordequalling hattrick yesterday helped lift Pep Guardiola’s side above Liverpool, which has a game in hand, on goal difference.
Raheem Sterling also scored twice and Ilkay Gundogan added a goal as City handed Chelsea its biggest competitive loss since 1991.
‘‘Incredible game,’’ Guardiola told the BBC.
‘‘To score six against Chelsea and the way we played, we had so much attention.
‘‘We did it, it’s an incredible compliment to the players, they are outstanding.’’
City had the perfect response to Liverpool going top on Sunday, overwhelming Chelsea with four goals in the opening 25 minutes at Etihad Stadium.
Sterling got things started in the fourth minute and Aguero then scored twice in six minutes to break the game open.
His first was a brilliant 25m strike into the top corner before he swept home his clubrecord 159th league goal after Ross Barkley’s poorly headed backpass.
Gundogan then capped the outburst by beating Kepa Arrizabalaga from just outside the area.
Aguero struck again with a secondhalf penalty, equalling Alan Shearer’s record of 11 Premier League hattricks, and Sterling completed the thrashing with his second.
The loss dropped Chelsea to sixth below Arsenal on goals scored with both sides level on points and goal difference.
‘‘It is one of the worst nights in my career,’’ defender Cesar Azpilicueta said. ‘‘It is difficult to explain what happened.’’
Tottenham continues to be a presence in the title race after fighting past Leicester City 31.
Davinson Sanchez and Christian Eriksen put Spurs 20 up at Wembley Stadium before Jamie Vardy, who earlier had a penalty saved by Hugo Lloris, gave Leicester a bit of hope.
But that was dashed by Son Heung Min in stoppage time, leaving Spurs five points behind City and Liverpool in third.
‘‘We had to fight for it, we knew it was going to be a tough game,’’ Eriksen told Sky Sports after Tottenham’s fourth straight league win.
‘‘They didn’t make it easy for us but we got the three points and that’s what everyone wanted.’’ — DPA