Sergio Aguero continued his fine run of form with yet another hat-trick

Sergio Aguero hit his second hat-trick in eight days as Manchester City thrashed Chelsea 6-0 at the Etihad to return to the top of the Premier League.

City were irresistible in the first half and raced into a 4-0 lead after just 25 minutes. Raheem Sterling put them ahead (4), running onto an effort at the far post, before Aguero’s 25-yard stunner (13) into the top corner made it 2-0, moments after he had missed a sitter from close range.

Aguero turned home his second after a Ross Barkley mistake (19) and Ilkay Gundogan put the game well beyond Chelsea with a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box (25).

Aguero scored his second treble in eight days

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Aguero completed his hat-trick from the spot (56), meaning he has 43 goals in 64 games against the big six, 22 more than any other player since he moved to the Premier League in 2011.

Sterling made it 6-0 from close range after fine team move (80), and the result means City go back to the top of the Premier League on goal difference, having played a game more than Liverpool. Pressure grows on Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea, who drop to sixth, a point behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

City were looking to cap off a tough week of fixtures with nine points out of nine, and they got the job done before Chelsea could even think about settling. Sterling had them ahead just four minutes in, slamming home from eight yards at the far post after Bernardo Silva’s cut-back had deflected into his path.

It should have been 2-0 moments later through Aguero, but he uncharacteristically missed an open goal three yards out at the far post, though he did make amends in fine fashion on 13 minutes.

Chelsea look dejected during a torrid show at the Etihad

Picking the ball up 30 yards out, Aguero took a touch out of his feet before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Aguero then became City’s leading league scorer with 159 goals, capitalising on Barkley’s poor header back to his own goal by turning into the bottom right corner from 10 yards.

The game was essentially over on 25 minutes as Gundogan’s crack from the edge of the box flew past Kepa after Chelsea had failed to clear their lines again.

Sarri was exploding on the touchline, but Chelsea did force a couple of chances before the break; Ederson blocked Pedro at his feet, and the City goalkeeper then acrobatically kept out Gonzalo Higuain’s fine 25-yard volley.

Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring City’s first

City carried on after half-time like a steam train. Aguero hit the bar with a close-range header, but he completed his second hat-trick in three games from the spot after Cesar Azpilicueta’s rash challenge on Sterling.

Aguero, who is now level at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with Mohamed Salah (17 goals) was brought off for Gabriel Jesus on 65 minutes, and his replacement went close to making it 6-0 as Kepa saved when one-on-one.

Sub David Silva then found Oleksandr Zinchenko with a beautiful ball in-behind, before the Ukrainian squared for Sterling to prod home his second from close range.

City’s PA system played the Madness’ ‘One Step Beyond’ at full-time, a favourite at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea wins, while Sarri claimed he didn’t see Guardiola as he headed straight down the tunnel without shaking hands on a horrible afternoon for the Italian.

Aguero celebrates during his man-of-the-match display

The managers

Pep Guardiola: “After Newcastle everybody was put in front of the mirror and we talked to each other and we accepted the reality and moved forward.

Pep: It was an incredible performance

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the way his side dismantled Chelsea and said Sergio Aguero is a special player after the Argentine scored a hat-trick in their 6-0 win in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the way his side dismantled Chelsea

“It’s about being calm and then it’s a lot of compliment to the players. Arsenal at home and Chelsea at home and Everton away is a tough, tough week and we did incredibly.”

Maurizio Sarri: “I am not able at the moment to understand, because during the week my feeling was really very good. At the moment we have a big problem away [from home]. I don’t know why.”

Sarri: Difficult to understand defeat

Maurizio Sarri admits he does not understand how Chelsea turned in such a poor performance against Manchester City and also accepts there will now be talk about his future after their 6-0 defeat in the Premier League.

Maurizio Sarri admits he does not understand how Chelsea turned in such a poor performance

Opta stats

• Aguero scored his 11th Premier League hat-trick, equalling the record set by Alan Shearer.
• Chelsea suffered their heaviest defeat in any competition since losing 0-7 to Nottingham Forest in a top-flight match in April 1991.
• Aguero has scored eight Premier League goals for Man City in 2019 – double that of any other player in the competition and more than 11 other Premier League clubs have managed, including Chelsea (seven).
• Aguero has scored a hat-trick in his last three Premier League games at the Etihad in the month of February for Man City – four v Leicester in 2018, three v Arsenal in 2019 and three v Chelsea.
• Chelsea conceded four goals in consecutive away top-flight matches for the first time since December 1990.
• Only Fulham (15) have conceded more Premier League goals during 2019 than Chelsea (13).
• City became the first top-flight team since Tottenham in December 1965 to score more than once in 15 consecutive home league matches.
• Sarri suffered his heaviest ever league defeat as a manager, with this the first time he’d seen one of his teams concede more than four goals in a match.

Referee Mike Dean teased hat-trick hero Sergio Aguero by hiding the match ball up his shirt at full-time after Manchester City’s 6-0 drubbing of Chelsea.

Referee Mike Dean teased hat-trick hero Sergio Aguero by hiding the match ball up his shirt at full-time after Manchester City’s 6-0 drubbing of Chelsea

Man of the match

To think this man was nearly out of the door when Guardiola first arrived is scary. His record against top-six sides is remarkable, and once again on Sunday he was City’s main man.

If he continues this form, he could be a strong contender for PFA Player of the Year. What more can you say about this man?

Jamie Carragher has a go…

“In terms of a goalscorer, he’s the greatest we’ve seen in the Premier League. That’s the difference between him and the other greats, he’s a goalscorer rather than the greatest all-round player.”