MAN CITY 3, NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
Sergio Aguero scored the perfect hat trick – left foot, right foot, header – as Manchester City returned to winning ways after losing their unbeaten Premier League record at Liverpool.
City swept past Newcastle United as Aguero inflicted the damage almost single-handedly against the club he cannot stop scoring against.
The last time Newcastle visited the Etihad, Aguero hit five in a 6-1 demolition and overall he has now netted 14 goals in 11 Premier League games against the Toon Army.
This was also Aguero’s 11th hat trick for City and second of the current campaign in which he has already scored 22 goals.
It proved an intriguing contest as Newcastle parked the bus for the opening hour.
But once they conceded a second goal, they were forced to adopt a more gung-ho approach. And it succeeded as they halved the deficit and for 16 minutes a victory did not look a formality for City.
Once Aguero completed his treble, City were home and dry in a game in which they enjoyed a staggering 80-per-cent possession.
Manager Pep Guardiola was asked whether he was anxious after the loss at Liverpool.
He said: “It was important not for me but for the players not to be nervous and panic, but they reacted with a huge personality.
“After Liverpool you doubt what will happen. It was important after Anfield to avoid two bad results in a row, and we are are satisfied. We dropped two points against Crystal Palace and the reaction was amazing, and we did it again.
“And they do not have to convince me how incredible players we have.”
Guardiola added City need 10 more victories to win the Premier League which will be difficult, but they will be taking it game by game.
City made two changes from the side that lost for the first time in the league at Liverpool on Sunday.
David Silva came in for Ilkay Gundogan while Oleksandr Zinchenko replaced the injured Fabian Delph as he made his first Premier League start.
City came close to taking a sixth-minute lead when John Stones met a Silva cut back, but fired wide from six yards.
And they went close again following a speedy counter attack that ended with Silva crossing for Sterling to score, but it was ruled out as he had strayed marginally offside.
City were struggling against a Newcastle side that had parked the bus as Joselu was their only attacking player with Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie and Ayoze Perez all on the bench.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute, and inevitably it came from Aguero.
Kevin De Bruyne crossed from the left and Aguero ghosted on to glance a header from seven yards low to the left of keeper Karl Darlow.
And it would have been 2-0 but for a wonderful save low to his left to turn away a shot from De Bruyne.
It remained much of the same at the start of the second half with Newcastle sticking with a rigid 4-5-1 formation and focused firmly on defensive solidity.
City eventually made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute when Raheem Sterling was adjudged to have been brought down by Javier Manquillo, Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez describing it as a “soft” one as contact was minimal and Sterling went down easily. Aguero stepped up to score with the kick.
Newcastle made two changes in quick succession as Perez and DeAndre Yedlin replaced Christian Atsu and Manquillo.
And Newcastle gave themselves hope when they halved the deficit with 21 minutes left.
Ciaran Clark’s diagonal pass released Jacob Murphy who raced clear and dinked the ball over keeper Ederson Moraes.
City had two great chances to restore a two-goal lead as Aguero curled a shot just wide and then Sane crossed for Sterling whose strike was superbly turned on to the upright by Darlow.
Having been a tight and cagey affair, suddenly the game opened up as the teams went toe to toe.
Gayle came on for Joselu with 14 minutes left as Benitez played his last card.
City put the game to bed after 83 minutes when Aguero completed his hat trick.
Sane produced a mesmeric run down the left before setting up Aguero who fired home a low shot from 10 yards.
City made their first changes after 86 and 87 minutes as Sterling and Sane made way for Bernardo Silva and Brahim Diaz.