Pep hails Aguero big-game mentality

Hazard relishing partnership with Higuain

LONDON, Feb 9, (RTRS): Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed striker Sergio Aguero’s ability to consistently deliver on the biggest occasions.

Guardiola pointed to Aguero’s 40th-minute opener in last month’s 2-1 win over fellow title challengers Liverpool as the perfect example to illustrate his point.

That victory helped City cut then table-toppers Liverpool’s lead to four points and Guardiola’s side have since gone ahead of the Merseyside club on goal difference in a compelling race.

“That goal against Liverpool summed up what he is about. Sometimes the best tennis players on a point to save the break, they make an ace,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of Sunday’s league clash against fourth-placed Chelsea.

“In the big moments, always the big athletes come there, the big finals, the big moments. Sometimes some players hide in the scary moments.

“The other ones step forward and say, ‘I’m the boss, I’m here and I’m going to win the game’. Big clubs need these kinds of players. It’s simple.” Aguero has scored 14 league goals in 22 matches this season and Guardiola hoped the club’s all-time record scorer can find the target again on Sunday.

“Hopefully, he can continue to do it. In the big games, we need the important players... this game belongs to the players and the important games belong to the special players,” Guardiola added.

City have 62 points from 26 matches while Chelsea are 12 points behind them having played a game fewer.

Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard is convinced that he can form a great partnership with the club’s new striker Gonzalo Higuain after playing two matches together.

Chelsea signed Higuain on loan from Juventus last month and the Argentina striker scored twice in last week’s 5-0 thumping of the Premier League’s bottom club Huddersfield Town.

Hazard, who also scored two goals in that game at Stamford Bridge, said he was already enjoying playing alongside the former Real Madrid and Napoli striker.

“I’ve only played two games with Higuain and I know we can do something great together, not only with him but also with the other strikers, the other winger,” Hazard told The Times ahead of Sunday’s league meeting with Manchester City.

“Chelsea is not about Higuain and Hazard, it is about 25 players. But Higuain is a fantastic striker.” Victory over Huddersfield followed league defeats by Arsenal and Bournemouth where midfielder Jorginho was manmarked to nullify the Italy international’s influence.

“If one guy is marking him all the to the Knicks, scored 18 points.

Warriors 117, Suns 107 In Phoenix, Stephen Curry shook time, we need to adapt also. Jorginho is always trying to be free to take the ball to create something. He’s a fantastic player,” Hazard said.

Manager Maurizio Sarri has also faced questions about his insistence on playing N’Golo Kante on the right side of midfield instead of in his natural holding role, but Hazard believes the Frenchman has to adapt.

“N’Golo’s a clever guy, one of the best in his position, maybe the best in the world. N’Golo now plays six months in the different position. He needs to adapt,” Hazard said.

“When we win, everyone will say, ‘yes, he plays in his (best) position, and if we lose everyone will say, ‘no, he needs to go a bit behind’. Depends only on the result.” Hazard said Chelsea still need time to adapt to Sarri’s possession-based style of play, which contrasts to the counter-attacking football of previous managers Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

“Sometimes we keep possession, and I understand the fans want us to go forward (more directly), but it is part of the football,” Hazard said.

“We are still learning about his concept. We are doing well. I like this kind of football.” off a poor shooting performance by scoring 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help Golden State beat Phoenix for the 18th consecutive time.

Klay Thompson scored 25 points for the Warriors, Kevin Durant added 21 points and DeMarcus Cousins 18.

Kelly Oubre Jr scored 25 points, and Deandre Ayton 23 for Phoenix. Pelicans 122, Timberwolves 117 In New Orleans, Anthony Davis, Playing for first time since asking to be traded, had 32 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes, and New Orleans beat Minnesota.

Jrue Holiday had 27 points and nine assists and Kenrich Williams had 19 points – and they led the Pelicans offense in the fourth quarter, when Davis was kept on the bench despite the fact that the teams were separated by as little as one basket several times in the waning minutes. Instead of playing Davis, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry sent in Julius Randle, who came through with a pair of inside baskets and clutch free throws in the final minutes.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points for Minnesota.

Kings 102, Heat 96 In Sacramento, Calif, Buddy Hield scored 23 points and made a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left, and Sacramento rallied from 11 down in the fourth quarter to beat Miami.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points, and Harrison Barnes had 12 in his Kings debut after being acquired from Dallas as part of a three-team trade.

Josh Richardson scored 21 points, and Dwyane Wade had 15 for Miami, all coming after the 12-time All-Star was involved in a scary fall with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. Wade landed awkwardly while going for a rebound and his head bounced off the floor.

Pistons 120, Knicks 103 In Detroit, Andre Drummond had 29 points and 20 rebounds and Detroit handed New York its 15th straight loss.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points for the Pistons, who traded Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson in deadline deals but kept enough of their top players to make a postseason berth still plausible.

Dennis Smith Jr scored 31 points for the Knicks. They have lost 28 of their last 30.

Wizards 119, Cavaliers 106 In Washington, Bobby Portis scored 30 points in his Washington debut, Bradley Beal added 25 points and 12 assists, and the Wizards beat Cleveland.

Portis was acquired along with Jabari Parker on Thursday in a trade that sent Otto Porter Jr to Chicago.

Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 27 points. Kevin Love returned after missing 50 games following left foot surgery. He started and played the first six minutes, scoring four points. Cleveland has lost 21 of 24.

Bulls 125, Nets 106 In New York, Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 18 rebounds to lead Chicago past Brooklyn.

Markkanen scored at least 30 points in his third straight game. Zach LaVine added 23 points, and Otto Porter Jr had 18 in his first game with the Bulls. D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 23 points.