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Sergio Aguero hat-trick gives Manchester City comfortable win over Arsenal
Sergio Aguero did it again for Manchester City. A natural born striker, a predator, a finisher he once more departed with the match-ball after scoring another instinctive hat-trick as City re-asserted themselves in the Premier League title race.
“He was born with that talent, he will die with that talent,” declared Pep Guardiola afterwards and for all the artistry, for all the beauty and aesthetic precision of the football the City manager demands he needs a cold-blooded, ruthless forward like Aguero to complete it. Arsenal simply could not stop him.
Each of his three goals came from deep inside the opposition six-yard area which shows not only the quality of chances City create but his innate sense for hunting them down.
Header, right foot and left foot or hip – or handball as Arsenal cried with some justification with that third goal. “I think it came off my chest, but now I see on TV it was a handball,” Aguero admitted although it was an inadvertent connection as he slid in to bundle the ball over the line before goalkeeper Bernd Leno clawed it out.
The goals followed a pattern – pass out wide, pull back and finish and Arsenal were cut open. Aguero provided the rapier finish and has claimed 10 hat-tricks in the Premier League with only Alan Shearer, with 11, scoring more in the 27-year history of the competition. The 30-year-old Argentine will surely surpass that record.
This result means that City overtake Tottenham Hotspur, return to second-place and reduce Liverpool’s lead to two points ahead of their visit to West Ham United on Monday evening for their game in hand. Furthermore it was City re-discovering themselves after the odd, out-of-sorts defeat away to Newcastle United in midweek.
“We did not recognise ourselves, what we are, in our previous game against Newcastle. Today we came back,” Guardiola said and he will have been delighted that there was no sign of complacency, just a thirst for more goals which was led by Aguero before he departed, 10 minutes before the end, after suffering a bang on the head, and to a standing ovation.
Against that Arsenal were a maddening mix of a team offering a glimpse of what they might be - only to be dragged down by the team they currently are. For 45 minutes they rallied, they competed, they showed they could potentially go toe-to-toe – only to lose heart in the second-half, not even register a shot and appear to give up. A debut was given, as a substitute, to Denis Suarez who has been taken on loan from Barcelona and the sight of Guardiola patting him on the back as he went on simply confirmed that this game was over. And yet there were still 24 minutes to play.
Once again Arsenal lost a player to injury with Shkodran Mustafi substituted and it is remarkable the number of their defenders who go off when the chips are down. It may well stretch their resources further and raise further questions as to why they did not strengthen their defence in the January window.
Unsurprisingly all three of City’s goals came down Arsenal’s right-hand side where – in the absence of Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitand-Niles - 35-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner was stationed and was predictably targeted and overwhelmed.
It meant that once again Arsenal failed to beat one of the other so-called ‘Big Six’ away, a sequence that now runs to 21 matches, and more worryingly they face a daunting fight to finish in the top four after dropping down to sixth place.
Arsenal also remain the only Premier League team not to keep a clean sheet away from home this season and the hopes of achieving one here lasted less than a minute.
Aguero was relatively tardy in claiming his first goal – it took 46 seconds, in fact, or almost twice as long as it took to score in 24 seconds against Newcastle. It was also a horrible goal for Arsenal to concede as
Alex Iwobi inexplicably tried to dribble his way past Aymeric Laporte on the corner of his own penalty area. Laporte seized possession and delivered a cross that Aguero met with a diving header. It meant that within a week Aguero had scored the two fastest goals in the Premier League this season.
He should have quickly had the opportunity to add another when he was clearly pulled back inside the Arsenal area by Mustafi but no penalty was awarded and, surprisingly, the visitors capitalised by drawing level.
A corner was won with Lucas Torreira’s kick flicked on by Nacho Monreal for Laurent Koscielny to steal in and head high beyond Ederson. It was another poor goal to concede and not least because, for some reason, Raheem Sterling was marking Koscielny and compounded that by failing to track the Arsenal captain.
Back came City and, just before half-time, Fernandinho switched the play out to Sterling who cut the ball back to Ilkay Gundogan. The midfielder’s superb, first-time chip found Sterling, played onside as Arsenal failed to pushed up, and he volleyed low across the area for Aguero to side-foot home.
It was soon over. Just after the hour Sterling provided again as he jinked his way to the by-line, Leno deflected his cross but Aguero did enough. After that, and crushingly for Arsenal, it was only a question of how many more goals City would score as they – through the relentless Aguero – delivered a convincing and resonant title response.
Full time: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Arsenal can have no complaints, other than possibly the fact that Aguero's third came via an accidental handball.
Perfect hat-trick for Aguero, used his head, leg, and hand. #MCIARSpic.twitter.com/bRmS1ChIs1
— 32Red (@32Red) February 3, 2019
But in truth, they were all over Arsenal when they needed to be. Aguero put the hosts ahead within a minute, and although Arsenal did score from a set-piece, City were a cut above. You could say that they still have a tendency to let the motor idle, or on the other hand that they conserve energy expertly. Fact of the matter is that they have brushed aside one of the top six, and moved to within two points of Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Thanks for following. Report incoming.
90 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Sterling still full of beans, run and a shot.
The game is over but Mahrez still has plenty to play for, he has a curling effort from 20 yards.
The ref has seen enough.
87 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Kevin de Bruyne comes off, looking a bit spent but I guess this is his first home start for a while. Riyad Mahrez comes on.
85 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Chris Waddle gives the BBC his verdict: "Once that third goal went in, that was the game done. I can't even remember an Arsenal attack this half. They haven't turned up. They may well have just stayed in the changing room."
82 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
David Silva has worked the keeper with a drive from outside the box.
Perhaps over-eager to increase his playing time, Gabriel Jesus has also gone for the spectacular effort when Sterling was better placed.
80 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
The sense that the game has already been settled is increased by the withdrawal of man of the match outside bet Sergio Aguero. Gabriel Jesus the man who comes on.
78 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Emery figures he might as well not risk further injury to Mustafi, although I think if the game were more in the balance he might continue. Konstantinos Mavropanos comes on.
76 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Delay. Mustafi's had a knock. He's okay to carry on. Arsenal have run their race I would say.
74 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Aguero is down on his haunches, looks in some pain. Seems to have had a whack in the kisser. He hauls himself back into action and is soon in the hunt for number four, shooting at goal from a KDB DFK. Repelled by Leno.
70 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Game has hit a flat spot. That jammy/sneaky goal has knocked the stuffing out of Arsenal and City are looking as dangerous as they want to be. Rapier move down the flank, then idle.
66 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Ramsey and Denis Suarez come on, the latter for his Arsenal dayboo. He was once a City prospect. Think he had a bit of a taste in the League Cup.
Sead Kolasinac and Alex Iwobi are off.
64 mins: Man City 3 Arsenal 1
Perhaps evening things up, Atkinson books Gundogan for diving after Gundogan runs into Mustafi and hits the turf.
GOAL! Man City 3 Arsenal 1 (Aguero 60)
It's a hat-trick! It's unlucky for Arsenal. Sterling, again given the freedom of the park down that left side, drills the ball across. It takes a deflection, which means that Aguero's timing is off as he slides in. The ball hits him on the left hand and crosses the line. The ref does not, and I think cannot really be expected to, spot it. Leno lunges desperately, but in vain.
Perfect hat-trick for Aguero: right foot, left arm, header.
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) February 3, 2019
In a different sport, you could say maybe that Aguero might have pointed out that it hit his hand but this is football and no Arsenal player or fan would seriously expect Aguero not to profit from his inadvertent handball. It all adds up to a hat-trick.
A clear hand ball by Aguero. That'll cost Arsenal the game. VAR can't come soon enough.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) February 3, 2019
"Cost them the game" might be stretching it but a bitter pill.
53 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
KDB again, another shot, another parry from Leno. This time it is Kyle 'Kyle' Walker who follows in but he's ruled offside.
It's coming.
51 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
De Bruyne shoots, Leno cannot hold on, somehow he just does enough to put D Silva off as he goes to follow up.
49 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
Laurent Koscielny fouls Sergio Aguero. David Silva cannot make the freekick count.
48 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
Arsenal's back four are very narrow. There can't be more than 15 yards between the quartet. Thus, Sterling is in acres down the left. Crossfield ball finds him, he sets up Bernardo Silva, but the Portuguese gets his shot all wrong.
46 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
City are at Arsenal right away. David Silva haring down the left, crosses, it takes a deflection and balloons into the Arsenal box. Guendozi, mature beyond his years, tidies up.
Guendouzi completed all 22 first-half passes and won the ball back more times than any other Arsenal player. Given how frantic the midfield battle was and the level of opposition, that's hugely impressive for a 19-year-old in his first season.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) February 3, 2019
Players are ready
We are ready
Half time: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
Super entertainment. City scored within a minute and were all over Arsenal for the first ten. It looked like a 7-0 could be on the cards but Arsenal showed the cojones for which they have come not to be known, bundled in a set piece and then rolled up their sleeves and made it hard for City. In fairness, City also took their foot off the gas.
That was the case in a close, end-to-end contest for 30-odd minutes, but class will out, and City have nipped in for a justified lead at the half.
45 mins: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
De Bruyne growing by the minute here. Down the right, bursts through, drills it across but it is just a bit too hard/fast for Sterling, who slides but cannot tap in at the far post.
GOAL! Man City 2 Arsenal 1 (Aguero 43)
And there it is. Excellent link up play between Gundogan and Sterling, the latter gets down that problem right back area for Arsenal. Sterling down the left then, simple but precise little knock across the area and the relentless Aguero is in exactly the right place at precisely the right time. It's a sitter, and he makes no mistake.
41 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
Fair flips to Arsenal, they have fought hard to stay in this, and although I do still feel City could do them at any time, they have at least not rolled over.
39 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
End to end stuff now, and very enjoyable it is too, if just a few clicks short of top class.
Kolasinac with a thumping effort. Torreira tries his luck, and now here comes De Bruyne with a run. He's stopped in uncompromising fashion by Torreira, a good old fashioned Montevideo Reducer and that will be enough for our first booking of the match.
37 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
Silva's cross is flapped at by the Arsenal keeper. Luckily for him, Nacho Nacho Man Monreal is there to get rid.
34 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
Iwobi, he's a battler that guy, wins it in midfield and finds Lacazette. He sends Aubameyang and for just a half a second Arsenal are in! But here comes Ederson charging out at express pace, intercepting with his feet generally being an all-round sweeper keeper mensch.
31 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
City build from the back. Arsenal cower in their own half. Still, it's level at the moment.
27 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
City just a split second short of perfect sharpness. Another good move, KDB arrives late and wellies a shot well over.
25 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
Kolasinac does okay to get down the left, but cannot fashion a cross. A rare forray into opposition territory for Dick Emery's overmatched battlers.
24 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
Bernardo down the right, inside to David Silva, slipped across, play switched. Ball is drilled in. Hacked clear, just.
22 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
De Bruyne cheekily slide passes to David Silva. Arsenal on the brink here, surely.
City have had 70% of the ball. Arsenal might as well be Fulham.
20 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
I'm no expert but Emery has to change something tactically, no? Arsenal have just assumed the position and their back four are being ripped to shreds.
17 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
That brief moment from Arsenal seems like a dream already: normal service has been resumed, by which I mean that City are back to absolutely spanking the Gooners.
A powerful, quick move sees the ball drop kindly to a City man on the edge of the area. Luckily for the Gunners, it's Otamendi, and he fluffs/shins it.
Sterling also had a dibble but couldn't give of his best.
15 mins: City 1 Arsenal 1
De Bruyne down the right, crosses, Sterling is too wee to engage.
Now Aguero burst through but is offside.
GOAL! City 1 Arsenal 1 (Koscielny 11)
And this is why football is the greatest. Arsenal have been absolutely battered in the first ten, humiliated, tactically shot. But it's even steven thanks to a set piece.
They manage to put together and attack, Iwobi with good movement, finds Aubameyang. He plays it in, the ball pinballs off Otamendi, Walker has to clear it behind for a corner. The random factor.
From said corner, it is delivered in by Kolasinac: flick on from Monreal at the near post, and there's Laurent Koscileny to nod it in from close range.
8 mins: City 1 Arsenal 0
City have the ball in the net again. Offside.
Laporte headed home from De Bruyne's freekick. Had KDB not stuttered in his run up, selling his colleagues a dummy effectively, they would be two up.
5 mins: City 1 Arsenal 0
From that corner, Sterling picks the ball up and crushes a shot at goal. It necessitates a diving stop from the keeper.
4 mins: City 1 Arsenal 0
Bernardo now, down the right this time, Arsenal done again. Sitting deep, sitting narrow, and they are getting picked off at will down the inside channels. Arsenal's fullbacks drawn out to Sterling and Bernardo. Koscielny makes a desperate intervention. Corner.
3 mins: City 1 Arsenal 0
Things nearly get even worse for the hapless visitors when Aguero is sent through in the area. Mustafi grabs at him, and I think that is certainly a very good claim for a penalty. Had it not been so early, had they not already been trailing, who knows.
GOAL! City 1 Arsenal 0 (Aguero 1)
... but they do not clear it properly! City recycle the ball, Laporte again down that left flank, he delivers an accurate cross and Aguero has scored with a diving header! He sent the header back the way it came, beating the keeper at the near post and that was just 52 seconds on the clock.
1 mins: City 0 Arsenal 0
City have come out of the blocks in no uncertain terms. Sterling opens Arsenal up, slides it down the left and the cross comes in. Danger! Arsenal half clear that...
Right then
Arsenal in red and white, City in their correct blue. Good stuff. Let's play.
Arsenal formation?
Here's how City might line up
The players are in the tunnel
The crowd are ready. We are ready.
All the match preview info
that you need is here for Manchester City vs Arsenal.
Young Citizens
Sam Wallace, our superb Chief Football Writer, has a really insightful look at Manchester City's youth set-up.
It cost Manchester City £500,000 to sign Rabbi Matondo from Cardiff City almost three years ago, and when he finally left them on Wednesday for Schalke for a fee of around £11.29million he represented one of the best value deals the club has ever done.
Sam explains how the youth system may or may not be producing a raft of first-teamers, but it is doing God's work on the Financial Fair Play side of things. Excellent piece.
Manchester City continue to reap rich dividends from youth set-up
Those teams
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Aguero. Subs: Danilo, Stones, Delph, Sane, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Muric.
Arsenal: Leno, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac, Iwobi, Aubameyang, Lacazette. Subs: Cech, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Suarez, Mavropanos, Nketiah.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
From that tactical preview
Arsenal are less likely to sit as deep as Leicester, Crystal Palace and Newcastle did. A mid-press is the most likely strategy and this will leave space for City to hit direct passes in behind, something that the forwards must constantly look for. If Arsenal press high it could lead to scoring chances for City, as defenders pass their way out from the back to reach an exposed, vulnerable Gunners midfield.
Arsenal will almost certainly attempt to the block the middle of the pitch to force City's play wide. City must make the pitch as wide possible to allow forward passes to be played through central areas, having the wingers hug the touchlines to stretch the space between defending midfielders or defenders. This frees up space between bodies to fire the ball to advanced players quickly through the middle.
Arsenal news
Xhaka (groin) missing only his third Premier League game for #AFC this season. Big, big job for Torreira and Guendouzi up against (deep breath now) Gundogan, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, David Silva and Bernardo Silva in the #MCFC midfield.
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) February 3, 2019
Good afternoon
Some big matches on today, as I speak Leicester City are trailing by the single goal at home to Manchester United, and you can follow our live blog of that here. However, on this particular web page, as the kids like to call them, we will be following the fortunes of champions Manchester City as they welcome Arsenal.
The teams for that are already in and they are as follows. Let us start with the visitors, seems only polite as they have travelled all that way.
�� Here it is - our team for #MCIARS! ��
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) February 3, 2019
and your hosts, Manchester City...
Your City line-up for today! ��
CITY XI | Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero
SUBS | Muric, Danilo, Stones, Delph, Sané, Mahrez, Jesus
Presented by @HaysWorldwide#MCIARS �� #mancitypic.twitter.com/HceScdZ6FC— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 3, 2019
If you want to know how this match might unfold tactically then there is literally only one piece you need: my colleague JJ Bull has broken it down for you, strategic like.
How Man City can get back on track and what Arsenal will do to stop it
