MAN CITY 5, EVERTON 0
Sergio Aguero’s emotionally charged farewell appearance for Manchester City at the Etihad was fittingly a record-breaking one on the day they were crowned champions.
The Argentine came off the bench to score twice and smash the Premier League record for the most goals by a player for one club – 184.
And the brace made it 260 goals for City in all competitions since his arrival from Atletico Madrid in a £38 million transfer in July 2011.
It has been a decade in which Aguero has become a legend helping City to five Premier League titles, the most memorable being the first when his winner against QPR after 93min 20sec saw them edge past Manchester United on goal difference on a dramatic last day of the season.
City’s margin of victory this time was far more emphatic by a margin of 12 points following a remarkable second half to the season. Remember they had been as low as 13th place after nine league games.
And they brought down the curtain on another league campaign in style with an emphatic victory against Everton who began the day still with slim hopes of a Europa League place.
That was swept away as City ran riot to inflict the heaviest defeat in Carlo Ancelotti’s illustrious managerial career.
Apart from Aguero’s two goals, Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden also found the net as they proved beyond question they were the outstanding team of 2020-21 on the day supporters saw them live for the first time with a crowd of 10,000 allowed.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut it was Aguero’s day, and he said: “I want to say thanks to my team-mates because they have helped me a lot – thank you for everything.
“I’m a striker, my target is to score goals so I’m so happy because it’s my last game so to score two goals is fantastic for me.
“When I came here the first title for me was the most important, for the club and for me, then Man City started to win more titles so I’m so happy because it’s not easy to be 10 years at one club, for me it’s an honour.
“Before the game I felt so strange, the sensation is not good. I prefer to think about the good moments.”
City manager Pep Guardiola said of Aguero: “We love him so much – he is a special person for all of us. We cannot replace him. There are many players who have helped us here, he showed his quality in those 30 minutes.”
And with fans back for the first time, Guardiola added: “It’s completely different without people. We are so lucky to have people when we lift the trophy, it’s not full but it’s something. It’s so much better.
“Every title is nice, this one is different because of the pandemic and the problems that we have all had. That makes it mega special.”
On how they won the title, Guardiola added: “Win games, game after game. I think when we won at Stamford Bridge, we realised that suffering in the last month, the performance we played there with just 14 players we realised we are still here, we can still do this. We are still here.
“I think December until March we won all the games in all competitions. This is when we became champions.”
And of next weekend’s Champions League final, Guardiola said: “It’s a dream come true, for this club, other people have been there, but we haven’t, it’s our first time and we are going to give everything, and we want to win it. It’s not enough just being there we want to win it, it’s on the lads.”
The fans returned to the Etihad for the first time in more than 14 months and it was party time for the team’s crowning as Premier League title winners.
It was more carnival like with Stockport band Blossoms belting out hits beneath the scoreboard and Aguero given a guard of honour from both teams before kick-off
Aguero was on the bench for his farewell match at the Etihad as Guardiola made five changes to the side that lost to Brighton in a thriller last time out.
The suspended Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres all missed out.
In came Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho, De Bruyne and Jesus for the champions.
There were two changes for Everton as Yerry Mina and Seamus Coleman dropped out in favour of Mason Holgate and Tom Davies.
Remember Everton could, in theory, finish as high as sixth with a win today. And they began brightly with Dominic Calvert-Lewis forcing a decent early save from Ederson.
City were soon into the stride as de Bruyne put them ahead in the 11th minute rounding off a slick passing move by bending a shot into the bottom corner, his 10th goal of the season, with Riyad Mahrez providing the assist.
And it got even better three minutes later when Jesus doubled the lead with another clinical finish as the Brazilian cut in from the left past Ben Godfrey and struck a shot low to the left of Jordan Pickford.
De Bruyne this time provided the assist as the Brazilian scored his 14th goal of the season and 50th in the Premier League, but first in 10 games since April 3.
The pressure was unrelenting from City as they pressed for a third goal with de Bruyne forcing a decent stop from Pickford as Everton’s faint European hopes unravelled.
Everton weathered the onslaught and Richarlison went close with a shot which was deflected narrowly wide.
The visitors were awarded a 35th minute penalty when Richarlison burst clear and was brought down by Ruben Dias as he chased back and Ederson also tried to intervene.
Dias, the football writers’ player of the year, was booked but Ederson preserved his clean sheet with a great spot save to deny Gylfi Sigurdsson, flinging himself low to his right.
Everton had another shout for a penalty waved away, this time Calvert-Lewin appeared to be clipped.
City finished the half strongly as Mahrez was denied by the top of the upright with a shot from outside the penalty area.
And they maintained the momentum in the second period with Foden making it 3-0 in the 53rd minute moments after having an effort deflected narrowly wide for a corner.
Jesus began the move and Raheem Sterling then slipped a pass to Foden who fired home his 16th goal of the season from 10 yards.
Foden made way for Rodri three minutes later and there were soon huge cheers as Aguero warmed up and then made his entrance with 25 minutes left as he replaced Mahrez.
It took the Argentine only six minutes to make his mark with a farewell goal, only the fifth of an injury-hit campaign.
Set-up by Fernandinho, Aguero had plenty to do as he made a weaving run before finding the far bottom corner with the outside of his right boot, an exquisite finish.
It got even better for Aguero when he struck again in the 76th minute with a flying header to convert a cross from Fernandinho.
And he would have made it a 16-minute hat-trick but for a fine save from Pickford who denied him again moments later as he was making it a farewell to remember.
City almost made it six in stoppage time when De Bruyne’s slide-rule pass released Sterling but his effort was blocked by Pickford.