Daily Times

MANCHESTER: Sergio Aguero netted his 13th hat-trick for Manchester City as the champions made light of the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne to thrash Huddersfield Town 6-1 and move joint top of the Premier League. The prolific Argentine scored on 25, 35 and 75 minutes, also hitting the post in a devastating display to which the visitors, who last season were the only side to stop City scoring in the league at home, had no answer. Gabriel Jesus also netted, along with David Silva on his 250th league appearance for City, with the rout completed by a Terence Kongolo own goal late on after excellent work from substitute Leroy Sane. “I am happy,” said man-of-the-match Aguero, who was about to be replaced when he scored his third. “I was a little bit tired. I try two or three times to get the third goal.” For once, Pep Guardiola chose to pair Aguero with Jesus up front and such were the array of City attacking options that Huddersfield were simply pulled apart. After the visitors rode their luck for 25 minutes, City keeper Ederson found Aguero with a perfect through ball and the Argentine kept his cool to finish cleverly.

Jesus was next on the scoresheet after exchanging passes with Benjamin Mendy and firing past Ben Hamer, who then fumbled a cross to gift Aguero his second and City’s third in a blistering 10-minute spell before halftime. Although Jon Stankovic pulled a goal back before the interval, there was no respite as Silva produced a perfect free kick to cap an impressive display in front of his watching wife and child. Aguero flicked home his third on 75 minutes and Kongolo put through his own net late on – the ninth goal Huddersfield have conceded in two games.

Published in Daily Times, August 20^th 2018.