MAN CITY 5, LEICESTER CITY 1
It was hard to find suitable superlatives to describe Sergio Aguero’s one-man demolition of Leicester City.
The Manchester City scored four of the goals as he continues to set records.
Aguero, who has 28 goals for the season, became only the fourth player to score 20 times in the Premier League in four successive seasons matching Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Harry Kane.
His total of 21 Premier League goals also drew level with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah with only Harry Kane ahead of them this season with 23.
Aguero scored in seven successive home games, a total of 14 goals as he extended his club record to 196.
It was also his 13th goal in the last 10 games and his 12th hat trick of his City career while he has also scored 25 goals in each of the last five seasons.
Manager Pep Guardiola praised Aguero, declaring: “For one guy to score four goals, he deserves all the credit and nice words.
“Sergio played really good and, whereas we missed a lot of chances at Burnley, we took them today.”
Guardiola added that after a perfect start – Raheem Sterling scored after two minutes – they failed to build on that.
“We were not in the right positions to play quickly and with a good rhythm and conceded counter attacks with (Jamie) Vardy so dangerous.
“In the second half, we scored early and it helped as we controlled the game.”
As City extended their lead to 16 points, Guardiola would not be drawn on them already almost having both hands on the title.
He said: “There is still a lot to play for and to have 72 points in February is a lot and good so far, but ask me after 38 games.
“We have enjoyed the last six months and there has been a lot to admire and love, but we have yet to win the title.”
City made two changes from the side that was held at Burnley last Saturday, both in defence.
There were recalls for Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko in place of Vincent Kompany and Danilo.
Leicester named want-away rebel Riyard Mahrez on the bench.
It took Sterling 2min 7sec to erase the painful memory of his horror miss at Burnley as he put City ahead.
Kevin De Bruyne whipped in a low cross from the right to the far post where Sterling got goalside of Marc Albrighton to convert from three yards for his 20th goal of the season.
City were lively, but Leicester defended resolutely to restrict them to two goal attempts in the first quarter of the game.
Leicester stunned City by equalising midway through the opening period when Fernandinho’s square midfield pass to Zinchenko was intecepted by Vardy who raced clear of Ilkay Gundogan and Laporte before rifling a show low past Ederson Moraes.
It was the fourth straight game that Vardy had found the net and his 14th of the season. He also became the first Premier League player to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham in the same season.
City were stung into a riposte as they looked to regain the lead, their best chance an angled shot by De Bruyne that Kasper Schmiechel did well to turn round the post.
Leicester brought on Danny Simpson in a rejigged back line from three players in the opening period to a flat back four.
It didn’t work as City regained the lead in the 48th minute when De Bruyne played a return pass with Sterling before slotting a pass to Aguero who found the net from six yards with a low shot.
And De Bruyne provided his third assist of the game – the first time he had done that for City – to release Aguero who made no mistake from close range for his 26th of the season.
De Bruyne now has 15 assists for the season, more than for any player in any of Europe’s top five leagues and more than Lionel Messi since 2012 as he produced another masterful display.
And it might have been 4-1 soon after when Nicolas Otamendi’s header from a De Bruyne corner flashed just wide.
Leicester went for broke just after the hour when Foxes’ manager Claude Puel brought on attacking players Mahrez and Kelechi Iheanacho for Foussemi Diabete and Ben Chilwell.
Iheanacho was given rapturous applause on his return to the Etihad.
City made their first change mid-half when Danilo replaced Zinchenko.
Bernardo Silva curled a shot agonisingly wide before the fourth goal arrived with 13 minutes left when Aguero completed his treble.
A poor clearance from Schmeichel following Harry Maguire’s back pass was intercepted by Aguero who raced clear to chip the Danish keeper.
With the game won and eyes on the Champions League game at Basle in midweek, Guardiola took off Fernandinho and Otamendi and replaced them with John Stones and teenager Phil Foden.
But it got even better for Aguero in the last minute when he netted his fourth goal with Foden, a FIFA U17 World Cup winner earlier this season, providing the assist.
And it was a rarity for Aguero, a goal from outside the box as he was 22 yards out when he smashed an unstoppable effort in off the crossbar.