SILVA: AGUERO GIVES US EDGE IN TITLE SCRAP
BERNARDO SILVA has hailed Manchester City’s star striker Sergio Aguero as the player who can make the crucial difference in the tightest title race for years.
Aguero’s hat-trick in City’s 6-0 demolition of Chelsea on Sunday took Pep Guardiola’s side back to the top of the Premier League on goal difference from Liverpool.
And Bernardo said Aguero, whose 11th Premier League hat-trick also saw him draw level with Alan Shearer on the all-time list, is the man City will look to for inspiration as the pressure builds.
“You don’t need any more words to describe him,” said Bernardo (celebrating with Aguero, above). “He just proves week after week, year after year, how good he is.
“It’s been almost
10 years that he’s played for City and it’s just fantastic for us to have a striker like him scoring so many goals. I just hope he continues.”
City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko echoed Bernardo, hailing team-mate Aguero as a “goal machine” after the 30-year-old Argentine took his goal tally for the season to 23 in all competitions.
“All I can is he’s a life legend,” said Zinchenko (circle). “He’s on fire at the moment and we’re so happy for him. He’s an absolute goal machine.”
Guardiola has predicted the title race will do down to the wire, but has warned his players they must not become preoccupied with Liverpool’s results as the tension rises. Jurgen Klopp’s side have a game in hand and their fate in their own hands, with Bernardo admitting City need their Merseyside rivals to drop points to let them back in.
“It’s better if they lose some points, but I think all of us, not only the manager but all of the players, have been saying to focus on our job,” added the Portugal midfielder.
“If we don’t win our games, it doesn’t matter what they do, so that’s the most important thing now.
“We’ve had a lot of very good performances. But this one was one of the best, because we played against one of the best sides in the world and beat them 6-0.” Ukraine midfielder Zinchenko played a key role in City’s win and said Guardiola’s side are going to push Liverpool all the way as they bid to retain their title.
“It was a big performance from the lads,” he said. “We played well, a bit lucky, because we scored with almost every single chance at the beginning of the match.
“But that’s more about hard work in training sessions and not so much about luck.
“Everyone involved in our team is ready to play against Chelsea and these kind of teams. It was a big game and we prepared well. We played like a real family.
“I hope Liverpool are going to drop some points in the next game. But first we have to focus on us.”
City are still fighting on four fronts and Zinchenko added: “Hopefully, we can win every title.
“We’re going to fight for every one of them.”