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Post by Football News on Apr 16, 2016 20:49:15 GMT
Chelsea 0 - 3 Man CityManchester City’s Sergio Agüero hits hat-trick as Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois sees red Away team scorersSergio Aguero 33 Sergio Aguero 54 Sergio Aguero 80 Pen Manchester City are finishing with a flourish on all fronts. This was a comprehensive dismantling of a Chelsea side pining for the season to end, a thrashing secured courtesy of Sergio Agüero’s ruthlessly executed hat-trick and inspired by the fluid invention and menace of Kevin De Bruyne, back in familiar territory and tormenting former team-mates. On days like this, City can appear untouchable. A third successive league win, with progress in Europe secured in between, has thrust Manuel Pellegrini’s team back into third place though, in truth, so emphatic was this display it was hard not to wonder what might have been had the team replicated such form more consistently over the course of the campaign. That remains the nagging failure of management and playing staff because, given the talent showcased here, this title should have been theirs. As it is, and as impressive as this was, they are playing catch-up on the fringes. This fixture would normally have constituted a collision of contenders though, in truth, it had long since seen its significance diminished by these clubs’ league toils. Chelsea, with Roman Abramovich up in his box and Antonio Conte presumably watching on from afar, have been left with nothing but pride for which to play. The onus was always more on City, a team seeking to preserve a place in the division’s top four and hold off Manchester United’s pursuit in the process, to impose themselves on the faded champions. That much was reflected in the pace and incision of their initial attacks, slicing the hosts apart almost at will with De Bruyne integral to every foray forward. By the interval their lead was established and the locals were grumbling in discontent at the effervescence of the one who got away. De Bruyne had his own personal motivation to impress on his first return to Stamford Bridge since forcing through, much to José Mourinho’s frustration, an £18m transfer to Wolfsburg in January 2014. Now City’s £55m record signing, the Belgian had eliminated Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League in midweek with his form over a first full Premier League campaign just as eye-catching. It was the 24-year-old whose burst beyond Branislav Ivanovic and cut-back almost presented Agüero with a third minute tap-in, and his run between Baba Rahman and César Azpilicueta on to Yaya Touré’s slide-rule pass which forced Courtois to save smartly with his right leg. The home goalkeeper repeated that trick to choke Samir Nasri’s attempt soon after, but City would not be denied for long. Mikel John Obi surrendered possession to Agüero at a Chelsea corner with the Argentinian swiftly liberating De Bruyne. He scorched away from a labouring Rahman and, having reached the penalty area, squared for the unmarked Agüero in the centre. The striker cut inside Gary Cahill and, with the hosts’ back-line panicked, found the bottom corner of Courtois’s net via a deflection from the centre-half’s left boot. The concession rather deflated Guus Hiddink’s team over what remained of the period, their early promise having petered out with no reward. Diego Costa had unsettled Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolás Otamendi, a defence who had impressed against PSG suddenly reverting to fragile status. A simple punt upfield by Cesc Fàbregas had sent the Spain forward clear, Joe Hart sprinting to the edge of the area and snapping at the striker’s back, with Pedro eventually collecting and guiding a shot which Otamendi scrambled from his goalline. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, City players bouncing off him, might also have prospered only for Hart to turn away a skimmed attempt, with the young midfielder mistiming a lunge on Pedro’s cross after the interval as Chelsea sought to initiate their recovery. Hiddink’s willingness to blood younger talent will remain the principal positive of his second spell in temporary charge of this club, the interim flinging on Bertrand Traoré and Kenedy before the end, though the campaign will still end with Conte’s task feeling daunting. For all their endeavour, they were punished here by streetwise, classy opponents spearheaded by one of the topflight’s most natural finishers. Agüero’s 12th goal in as many league games was plundered nine minutes after the restart, De Bruyne exploiting Azpilicueta’s hesitancy inside the City half to spring up-field and eventually clip Nasri free at his side. The Frenchman waited for Agüero to check his run and ensure he was onside, with the forward’s 20th league goal of term duly converted crisply across Courtois. He was not finished there. Fernandinho’s surge through the middle from deep cut the hosts apart with the run only checked by the goalkeeper’s foul as he charged to the edge of his area. The resultant red card, his second of the season after a virtually identical offence against Swansea on the opening weekend, was inevitable. Agüero, staggering his run-up, completed his treble from the penalty spot beyond Asmir Begovic and Chelsea’s misery was complete. Guardian
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