Aguero scores four in romp
Sergio Aguero scored four goals as English Premier League leader Manchester City showed Riyad Mahrez what he was missing in a 5-1 thrashing of Leicester City.
Mahrez returned as a substitute for Leicester after more than a week in self-imposed exile following the collapse of a move to City, but he could do little to stop Pep Guardiola’s rampant side.
Aguero scored his goals in the second half in Manchester yesterday, propelling City to a 16-point lead at the top of the standings.
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy cancelled out Raheem Sterling’s early opener which saw Kevin De Bruyne provide one of his three assists.
Auguero, asked to rate the favourite among his four goals, said: ‘‘I don’t know, maybe the last one because it’s a long time since I scored from outside the box.
‘‘We are happy, so we have to continue the same way now, today was an important three points,’’ he said in a post-match television interview.
‘‘Now we have Champions League, and the [Carabao Cup] final, so important games. We are close [to the title], we have more important games.’’
With a north London derby victory, Tottenham emerged from one of their most taxing runs in the English Premier League unbeaten and with its top-four pursuit reinvigorated.
Only a second-half header from Harry Kane separated Tottenham from Arsenal on Saturday. But the
1-0 scoreline did not reflect the chasm in quality on the pitch with Tottenham in complete control at Wembley Stadium in front of a Premier League record crowd of
83,222.
Tottenham have collected seven points from a possible nine, following victory over Manchester United and a draw at Liverpool, to climb into the third Champions League qualification place.
‘‘It was a big stage in our season and we have come out with flying colours,’' Kane said after scoring a league-leading 23rd goal. ‘‘We have got good momentum.’'
Next up is a trip to Juventus on Wednesday in the Champions League last 16.
It’s a competition Arsenal are absent from this season and are struggling to seal a return to. Arsene Wenger’s side is stuck in sixth place and six points behind Liverpool in fourth place.
Second-placed Manchester United is at Newcastle on overnight when third-place Liverpool are at Southampton.
In the tussle to stay in the Premier League, Swansea’s revival under Carlos Carvalhal continued with a 1-0 victory over Burnley taking the south Wales club out of the relegation zone.
Stoke remains in drop zone after drawing with Brighton 1-1. West Ham moved six points clear of danger by beating Watford 2-0.
The clash of former England managers was won by Sam Allardyce as Everton rose to ninth place by beating Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace 3-1.