Manchester City Fan View: Agüero provides tonic after challenging week

Manchester City’s secured a 3-1 over Newcastle United on Saturday. For Pep’s men, it was the perfect tonic to end their most challenging week of the season so far.

In a campaign where the Sky Blues have raced ahead in the Premier League, hold the lead heading into the second leg of the Carabou Cup semi-final and won their Champions League group at a canter, there’s been little reason for complaint or concern. However, the illusion of immortality has finally been shattered over the last seven days.

It started with the entertaining 4-3 loss at Liverpool last Sunday – City’s first league defeat of the season. As the week developed, we had to swallow the news that top target Alexis Sanchez would not be making his much-anticipated move to The Etihad. Instead, he’ll be on the outskirts of Manchester when he joins up with United.

The right decision

Ultimately, the decision for Sanchez to go else where was City’s. They chose not to match United’s offer and, regrettable though it is that a world-class player will improve a rival rather than our own team, it has to be the right call. It would have been scandalous to make him the club’s most highly-paid player whilst City negotiate with Kevin De Bruyne and look to tie down Raheem Sterling. They are the building blocks on which greatness is being established; the club need not rock the boat by risking undervaluing them.

It also serves as proof that City’s antediluvian policy of winning a battle on spending power alone is gone; that role now belongs to United.

If missing out on Sanchez is a bit disappointing, there was a timely reminder from an established striker that an attacking addition would have been a luxury, rather than a necessity. Sergio Agüero grabbed a hat-trick in his best performance in weeks to maintain City’s healthy 12-point lead over the chasing pack.

Agüero is now on 21 goals for the season. The Sky Blues’ all-time top goalscorer is often rumoured to be unhappy under Guardiola’s management. The general perception is that he’s not having his best campaign, yet he’s well on course to smash through the 30-goal barrier.

Performances like this, where his close control caused problems throughout and his deadly finishing won the match, are a reminder that there is already a world-class striker at The Etihad. The focus of the recruitment is best directed at other areas of the team.

Bouncing back

If Liverpool away was always the most likely game for City’s unbeaten streak to end, they could hardly ask for a better game to get back to winning ways. Their record against Newcastle always gives reason for confidence and so it was that this match ended up quite comfortable. Though there was a minor scare when the Magpies pulled a goal back to make it 2-1, City quickly re-asserted their dominance.

The greatest threat in this match was always going to be psychological. Would finally losing a match affect the players? Would they suddenly realise they’re not invincible and lose their heads as a result? The answer, thankfully, was a clear and resounding ‘no’. That defeat is done, completely out of the way.

This week City head to Bristol City to try and secure place in the League Cup final. They’ll then head to Cardiff to try and progress in the FA Cup. On their return to the Premier League, they’ll continue the procession towards the title.

If that’s how you follow up a bad week, it’s really not too bad at all.