Wales On Sunday

Aguero hits treble as Sky Blues go on the rampage

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SERGIO Aguero scored a hattrick as Manchester City stormed to the top of the Premier League with a 6-0 rout of Watford at Vicarage Road.

Aguero laid on a goal for Gabriel Jesus while Nicolas Otamendi and Raheem Sterling also scored in another stunning performanc­e by Pep Guardiola’s men.

Victory means City have now scored 15 goals without reply in their last three games after big wins over Liverpool last week and Feyenoord in midweek.

Watford had started the day hoping to reach the summit themselves but a quickfire double by Aguero either side of the half-hour mark soon erased that unlikely prospect.

Jesus made it three before the break, Otamendi headed the fourth just past the hour mark and after Aguero completed his hat-trick, Sterling wrapped things up from the penalty spot.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool endured more frustratio­n as they were held to a 1-1 draw by battling Burnley at Anfield.

Scott Arfield struck the Clarets ahead with their first shot on target and although Mohamed Salah quickly restored parity, Klopp’s men failed to turn their dominance into further goals.

Roy Hodgson’s first game as Crystal Palace managed ended in a 1-0 defeat to Southampto­n and lumbered the Eagles with another unwanted record.

Steven Davis scored the only goal of the game after just six minutes. Their defeat means Palace become the first topflight team in history to lose each of their opening five league fixtures without scoring a goal.

Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles proved the Magpies’ hero once again as his secondhalf header earned a hardfought 2-1 win at home to Stoke.

Christian Atsu’s 19th-minute opener was cancelled out by Xherdan Shaqiri shortly after the restart, and the same player was denied a second only through an excellent save by Rob Elliot.

Lascelles, who also scored the winner at Swansea last Sunday, powered home in the 68th minute to secure his side their first run of three straight top-flight wins since November 2014.

Huddersfie­ld were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester after Elias Kachunga’s second-half header was controvers­ially ruled out for offside.

Gareth Barry made his recordequa­lling 632nd Premier League appearance but that was the only redeeming feature of a dismal goalless draw between West Brom and West Ham at The Hawthorns.

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