Pep says thank you after City slam six goals past Chelsea
● Aguero fires a record-equalling trio as champions return to summit
Pep Guardiola hailed his
Manchester Cityplayers after thechampionscontinuedtheir stunning response to defeat at Newcastle by thrashing
Chelsea 6-0.
Sergio Aguero scored a hattrick – a record-equalling 11th in the Premier League – as City powered back to the top of the Premier League by demolishing Maurizio Sarri’s men at the Etihad Stadium.
The victory was City’s third in the space of eight days since a surprise defeat at St James’ Park, with Arsenal and Everton having also been brushed aside.
Guardiola, whose side lead Liverpool at the top on goal difference, said: “After three games in a week – tough games against Arsenal and at Goodison Park – playing the way we played with this intensity and patience to find spaces in the right moments, the players were outstanding.
“I just said to them thank you for what they have done.”
Asked if it was one of City’s best performances of his reign, Guardiola said: “Yes, we played good.”
Aguero’s hat-trick equalled Alan Shearer’s competition record of 11 and was also his 15th in City colours. In the process he also became City’s record league goalscorer with 160.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino was perplexed by Michael Oliver’s decision to book Son Heungmin for diving in his side’s 3-1 win over Leicester City.
Son went down in the penalty area under a challenge by Harry Maguire, but went on to get on the scoresheet at Wembley, putting the finishing touches on a win that had been set up by Davinson Sanchez and Christian Eriksen goals.
Oliver did point to the spot when he awarded Leicester a penalty, which Jamie Vardy missed with his first kick after coming on as a substitute immediately before, though the striker did get on the scoresheet later on.
It was the second time Oliver has denied Son a penalty at Wembley this season after he chose not to award a spot-kick in the final moments of Liverpool’s 2-1 win in September. Pochettino, has not forgotten that incident and was incredulous in his response to Sunday’s re-run.
“Today do you think that Sonny deserved to be booked? Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable.
“When you compare the situation with the penalty against us, unbelievable. The problem is, I told Michael Oliver, the situation of Liverpool in the last minute that should be a penalty, but it was a clear penalty.
“It was the same referee but now I don’t know how he has measured the situation. It is so difficult.”
“Do you think we are a team that is trying to cheat the referee? Come on, we are the most innocentpeopleonthepitch.”
The win keeps Tottenham third in the Premier League, five points off the top.