Sergio Aguero bagged all four goals to lead Manchester City past Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in a wild game at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Aguero scored early with a curling shot, but Christian Eriksen leveled for Spurs 90 seconds later to make it 1-1. Then Man City were awarded the first of their three penalties, as Aguero scored two and saw one saved by Hugo Lloris. In among all that madness Roberto Soldao had a spot kick superbly saved by Joe Hart.
Aguero added another late on as City made it three wins in a row and continued their dominance over Spurs. As for Aguero, that was his second hat trick in the Premier League and his first since September 2011, as the Argentine forward is now Man City’s all-time leading scorer in the PL with 61 goals. City are in second on 17 points, while Spurs remain in fifth on 11 points.
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Spurs started brightly and should have taken the lead within the opening 10 minutes. Ryan Mason was played in by Soldado but Hart came racing out and blocked the midfielders effort from close range. Soon after Christian Eriksen came close, as City started slowly. However that slow start soon dissipated as Aguero wriggled free from Younes Kaboul and curled in a beauty to put City 1-0 up in the 13th minute. Erik Lamela was guilty of giving the ball away on the edge of the box and Lampard played in Aguero to score his sixth goal of the season. Their lead didn’t last long as Mason caught Fernando in possession and Soldado played in Eriksen to rifle in the equalizer despite Hart getting a foot on it. 1-1.
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Less than five minutes later City were back ahead as Lamela was penalized by referee Jonathan Moss for a collision with Lampard in the box and Aguero slotted home the penalty kick. That was the Argentine’s 35th goal in his last 40 PL games, as City lead 2-1. Frank Lampard then left the match with a serious looking thigh injury as his loan spell from New York City FC in Major League Soccer could come to a premature end.
Before half time Aguero should have had a hat trick after Kaboul brought down David Silva for another penalty kick but Aguero’s second spot kick of the day was saved by Lloris. Spurs rallied before the break but Lamela, Mason and Eriksen were all denied as City lead 2-1 at the interval. After the break both teams pushed forward as Aguero and Jesus Navas both came close to extending City’s lead, while Spurs pushed in search of an equalizer and Soldado won a penalty. The Spaniard got ahead of Martin Demichelis and was caught but the goal-shy forward saw his spot kick brilliantly saved by Hart as Spurs squandered a great chance to make it 2-2.
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Aguero bagged his and City’s third goal of the game soon after, as another PK was awarded. This time Fazio hauled down Aguero as he looked to tap home from Navas’ cross, and the Spurs man was given a straight red card on his PL debut. It ended 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium, with Aguero sealing his fourth of the game with a deflection off of Jan Vertonghen, as a game of four penalties went in City’s favor.
LINEUPS
Manchester City: Hart, Clichy, Demichelis, Kompany, Sagna, Milner, Lampard, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Aguero
Goals: Aguero (13, 19, 68)
Tottenham Hotspur; Lloris, Dier, Fazio, Kaboul, Rose; Capoue, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Soldado
Goal: Eriksen (15)