WEST BROM 0, MANCHESTER CITY 4
- Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan double strikes send Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League
- Aguero wil start against Barcelona, declares Pep Guardiola
- City’s six game winless run ended in style with 10th win in a row against West Brom
- Nolito, booked for rashly confronting Craig Dawson, got in the way of two additional strikes, preventing an even heavier victory
Sergio Aguero ended his goal drought and Manchester City’s winless run in style at the Hawthorns by scoring the first two goals in a stylish 4-0 victory away at West Brom.
And his performance convinced his manager Pep Guardiola to confirm that Aguero, one of the “nice guys” of City’s squad, will start against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Temporarily displaced by Arsenal’s earlier victory at Sunderland, City joined the Gunners at the Premier League summit with a first half brace by Aguero, while Ilkay Gundogan also netted twice to ensure the Blues were on top of the table again by Saturday night.
Aguero hadn’t found the net in six games prior to this game, and had been benched for the games against Everton, Barcelona and United in the EFL Cup.
With City also winless during that period, Guardiola’s worst run of games without a win in his managerial career, the pressure was building ahead of a crucial Champions league game against Barcelona next Tuesday.
After the derby defeat in the EFL Cup in midweek, Guardiola made a raft of changes with only Nicolas Otamendi, Fernando, and Nolito retaining their places in the side which was strengthened by the return of many first teamers with a ‘tired’ Vincent Kompany on the bench.
City opted to use Fernando as a right back in a back four which was a little unusual but the Brazilian acquitted himself well in the role which was played well by Pablo Maffeo in the continued absence of the injured Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna.
Prior to kick off, much had been made of Baggies manager Tony Pulis’ defensive organisation skills and direct approach to football, but Guardiola’s side responded with a morale boosting victory which will set them up for Tuesday’s visit of Barcelona.
Hard-working Sergio Aguero back in form and scoring again
There was little to fear from the kick off as City dominated the first half against a meek Baggies side who allowed Aguero to score his 12th and 13th goals of the season in only his 13th game after a hard-working man-of-the-match performance.
Ilkay Gundogan, who was also in great form on the day, supplied a great through ball for Aguero to slot past Ben Foster from a narrow angle six yards out after 19 minutes.
Aguero slipped his markers for his second nine minutes later when he pounced on a loose ball and smashed an unstoppable drive past Foster into the top corner from 20 yards out.
West Brom tried to rally in the second half but with so little possession of the ball they were unable to make anything count and Foster had to be alert to block a chance for Aguero to seal a hat trick when he cut off Kevin De Bruyne’s cross.
City’s intensity dropped in the second half as eyes started to drift towards the looming Barcelona game.
They were eventually easy victors despite Nolito getting in the way of two chances which might have been goals – from David Silva and Gundogan – before the Germany midfielder finished off the home side and returned City to the top of the table.
Aguero found Gundogan for City’s third goal 11 minutes from time when his through ball took a deflection off Gareth McAuley and fell to him in space for an easy finish from 12 yards out.
And Gundogan put the icing on the cake in the last minute when De Bruyne’s cross left him with a simple tap-in to take his tally for the season to three.