Fernandinho headed a David Silva into the path of the striker to nod in for his first of the afternoon.
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Defoe stands alone in being the only player to score five goals in one half – scoring all five in the second 45 minutes of the 9-1 win over Wigan in 2009.
‘He had treatment at half time, and to give him more minutes he could have scored but we must be cautious about his fitness, because he could be injured.
Just four players had previously scored five in a Premier League game, and none have managed a double hat-trick, but Aguero was replaced with 28 minutes left to break new ground. Aguero suddenly looked like a player at his very best, showcasing his killer instincts and superb ability on the ball.
Since being signed from Atletico Madrid for £38million in 2011, Aguero has finished as City’s outright top scorer in three out of four seasons.
“Sergio is always a player who makes a difference. To see him play at the level he played today, not only must I be happy but all the fans because he is a different player”.
We all saw the vine that emerged from last weekend’s game just before Siem de Jong was about to be introduced (seen here); well McClaren was behaving just like that.
“Everyone is happy for him because every year he is improving”.
De Bruyne’s volley made it 4-1 before Aguero struck again with a curling shot and his close-range finish completed the humbling of Newcastle.
Newcastle were actually the better side in the early stages, taking an 18th-minute lead through Aleksandar Mitrovic, having another disallowed for offside and spurning other chances.
More importantly for City’s title hopes, Pellegrini is hopeful Aguero can steer clear of a few of the injuries that have forced him onto the sidelines for extended spells during his City career. His assists for Aguero’s third and fifth goals were wonderful examples of his subtle genius.
City ended their own mini-slump in style, after two successive league defeats, but Chelsea’s dire run continued even though they took an early lead with Willian scoring with a 10th minute free-kick.
Without him, they will struggle, such is his influence and importance.
Only one surprise here, and that’s Pablo Zabaleta returning to the starting XI for Bacary Sagna.
City defender Zabaleta, who also plays with Aguero for Argentina, hailed the frontman’s performance as “outstanding” and said they never doubted he would find form despite a five-game drought in the Premier League.
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When the dust subsided, City were back on top of the division, with Newcastle 15 points below them at the foot of the table. Before that, it had been a bright and optimistic start to the game, but now the Magpies are bottom of the league and without a win all season. “It is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if they sack me they sack the best manager this club has ever had”.
