Sergio Aguero hits a perfect hat-trick as Manchester City end Newcastle’s acrimonious week on a sour note

Few expected Manchester City’s long, leisurely walk towards the Premier League title would be stopped by their first Premier League defeat of the season at Anfield last weekend, least of all against a struggling and embattled Newcastle United. Sergio Aguero, though, made sure of that.

City’s all-time leading scorer improved upon his already-outstanding scoring record against this opposition with a ‘perfect’ hat-trick that maintained his side’s 12-point lead at the top of the table and banished any faint hopes or fears on either side of Manchester that last Sunday could be the start of a spectacular collapse.

For Newcastle, whose few positive moments mostly came around Jacob Murphy’s single goal in response, this defeat ended an acrimonious week on a sour note. Mike Ashley, referred to only as “a fat, Cockney bastard” by the travelling support, has no intention of relinquishing control of the club to businesswoman Amanda Staveley until she increases her £250m offer.

Sitting two points and three places above the relegation zone, the club falls closer to her valuation with each passing defeat.

When the two sides met last month, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez ordered his players to keep their backs firmly pressed against the wall in the hope of taking, at best, a point. His side came close to breaking the Premier League record for the lowest share of possession that night, eventually ending on only 22 per cent and keeping the score down to to 1-0.

In the few weeks since, Crystal Palace, Bristol City and of course Liverpool have shown that a sense of adventure may be the best way to upset City. Would Benitez, a naturally conservative coach who can boast more Etihad clean sheets than any other current Premier League manager, heed those lessons?

No, was the answer. This time, away from home, they saw just 19 per cent of the ball, still a point shy of the record, but at least they started brightly and created the game’s first clear chance. Had Ciaran Clark made a truer connection with Christian Atsu’s early cross, the visitors may even have capitalised on some skittish defending to take an early lead.

After that relatively cavalier start, Newcastle’s share of possession soon fell back towards the paltry level seen at St James’ Park and Raheem Sterling, scorer of the single goal that night, should have broken the deadlock once again.

As so often has been the case this season, he was on hand to convert a exquisite City counter-attack with a far post tap-in, only this one would not count. The assistant’s flag was raised for a marginal but nevertheless careless offside on the winger’s part.

No matter, as despite Benitez’s best efforts, the breakthrough still appeared to be a matter of time. It eventually came through Aguero, who opened the scoring with the most dubious of his 14 goals in his 12 games against Newcastle.

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A Kevin De Bruyne cross, wonderfully whipped along the face of Newcastle’s back line, dropped neatly into Karl Darlow’s bottom-left corner after appearing to take an edge off the Argentine’s head. “The faintest of touches” would be an exaggeration. If Aguero had his manager’s hairline, he could not have claimed it.

City’s all-time record goalscorer showed similar striker’s instincts for his second, immediately taking the ball shortly after the hour mark when Sterling was awarded a soft penalty.

Javier Manquillo, who played with Sterling during his final season at Liverpool, gave his former team-mate enough cause to go to ground by pulling at his shoulder as he darted past him. Aguero made no mistake from the spot, converting to Darlow’s right.

From there, the three points should never have been in doubt, but City contrived to allow their conservative opponents back in.

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Any joy Newcastle would have would have to come on the counter and they had Clark to thank for a unlikely defence-splitting pass that suddenly had City at sixes and sevens. Murphy latched onto it, outpacing City’s otherwise-impressive stand-in left back Oleksandr Zinchenko and then, one-on-one with Ederson, coolly chipped the ‘keeper.

It did not, unsurprisingly, spark any further surges forward though, and City reasserted themselves in the hope of restoring their two-goal lead. Sterling came close to doing so with a snap shot that Darlow turned against the upright, though the visiting ‘keeper was eventually beaten by Aguero for a third time.

City’s final goal owed more to Leroy Sané, though, who provided one of finest assists of the season so far. The winger majestically danced through Newcastle’s helpless backline, beating some defenders twice simply for the fun of it, until cutting a drilled cross to Aguero. After a touch to set himself, he slotted home with his left foot to ensure of all three points.

Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Silva, Fernandinho, De Bruyne; Sterling (Bernardo 86), Aguero, Sané (Diaz 87).

Substitutes not used: Bravo, Danilo, Gundogan, Mangala, Adarabioyo.

Newcastle United (5-4-1): Darlow; Manquillo (Yedlin 66), Clark, Lascelles, Hayden, Dummett; Murphy, Shelvey, Diamé, Atsu (Perez 64); Joselu (Gayle 76).

Substitutes not used: Elliot, Ritchie, Merino, Haidara.

Referee: P Tierney (Lancashire)

Attendance: 54,452