Sergio Aguero netted an incredible hat-trick as Manchester City crushed a rudderless Chelsea 3-0 at the Stamford Bridge to move provisionally above Arsenal into third place. Having missed a penalty against PSG in the Champions League earlier in the week, the ex-Atletico Madrid man was back to his prolific best as he single-handedly gunned down the beleaguered defending champions.
Coming off the back of their first ever qualification for the semi-finals in Europe, the Citizens celebrated the occasion in emphatic fashion, clinically condemning Chelsea to their second straight defeat in the league, and also boosting their own chances of playing Champions League football next season.
Here are the major talking points from the game as Manchester City rolled back the years.
#1 Manchester City revitalized
The Manchester City that we saw at the Bridge yesterday was quite different from the one we are used to seeing in the league this season. Robust at the back, quick on the counter and clinical with their finishing; the visitors reminded of their older selves as they pulled a zinger to play one of their best matches of the season.
The seeds were sown when City put on a dominant show against PSG over two legs and seemed to have carried that form into their league campaign. Not only did they shut out the Blues with remarkable ease, but also put on a counter-attacking masterclass to hit them on the break. Aguero, leading the line for the visitors, did the rest.
After quite a long time in the Premier League, Manchester City looked to be at their zenith.
2.Defeat sums up Chelsea’s season
No defending champions in the history of Premier League have been so limp in their title defence. For all the pandemonium in the first-half of the season under Jose Mourinho, his successor Guus Hiddink had managed to steady the sinking ship and has taken them to 10th after tootling near the relegation zone. However, games like this expose the deficiencies that remain in this team.
The way the Blues parted like the red sea for the Citizens to score, especially on the counter, was as abysmal as it has got at Stamford Bridge this year. The likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Samir Nasri each had a gilt-edged opportunity to get on the scoresheet but were denied only by the dexterity of Thibaut Courtois.
The midfield was totally overrun whereas Chelsea’s attack hardly tested City’s defence. Such limitations only reflect on the magnitude of reconstruction work that Antonio Conte has at his hands when he takes over the reigns next season.
#3 The Jekyll and Hyde of Thibaut Courtois
For arguably the entirety of the opening 45 minutes, Chelsea custodian Thibaut Courtois was the best player for the hosts. Not only did he make a number of stops and interceptions to deny City, but also kept the scoreline within Chelsea’s reach.
Kevin De Bruyne was put through on goal at one point when he had only his compatriot to beat, but the 23-year old made a crucial block to keep the game deadlocked. Minutes later, Aguero tried his luck at goal from distance, but Courtois was there to deny him as well.
For all his heroics in the first-half, the towering Belgian was shown a straight red late on in the game for bringing down Fernandinho inside the box. The resulting penalty was nonchalantly put beyond Begovic by Aguero for his hattrick.
Within moments, the former Atletico Madrid shot-stopper went from a hero to a pantomime.
#4 Aguero hits form at the right time
Although Manchester City eased past PSG in the Champions League, Sergio Aguero was one of the few players who disappointed over both legs. In Paris, the striker was guilty of missing a few straight-forward chances, and in the return leg, he blasted a penalty well off target. It may not have impacted City’s game in either case, but the Argentine was brought to light for his poor showings.
Against Chelsea though, Aguero was back to his scoring best as he cut himself some slack with his 5th treble in the English top-flight. His first of the evening may have been fortuitous as it took a slight deflection off Ivanovic, but there was no questioning his cutting edge during the second.
Having missed a penalty in the midweek, Aguero was presented with another chance from 12 yards and this time he made no mistake as he sent Begovic the wrong way to round off a memorable evening.
Should Aguero play in the same vein in the Champions League, Manchester City hold a bright chance of progressing to the final.
#5 Real Madrid have been warned
If anything, this was a clear warning to their semi-final adversaries Real Madrid that Manchester City are no pushovers. They may not have the big names within their ranks as the Spaniards nor the experience, but proved they can be a thorn in the flesh on their day.
The defence, which has been leaky for much of the season, was all of a sudden stoic, whereas De Bruyne and Aguero ran rings around Chelsea with their brilliant link-up. This is a Manchester City side that is getting back to their best, with confidence bursting at the seams again.
If City are able to replicate such performance against the 10-time European champions, San Siro beckons. Real Madrid have been warned.
