Brutal Manchester City Hit Chelsea For Six As Sergio Agüero Fires Another Hat-Trick – Sarri Now Leads Sack Race
By: Marc Gingell
Match Summary
Manchester City 6 – 0 Chelsea
Referee: Mike Dean|Venue: Etihad Stadium|Attendance: 54,452
Goals
Raheem Sterling 4
Sergio Agüero 13
Sergio Agüero 19
Ilkay Gündogan 25
Sergio Agüero 56
Raheem Sterling 80
Chelsea Pummelled into Submission
Manchester City absolutely pummelled Chelsea into submission and they could have gone one better than the nine they put passed Burton in the League Cup exactly a month ago to the day.
Sergio Agüero, who scored his eleventh top-flight hat-trick and is now joint top of that particular table with Alan Shearer, could have scored five. He missed a sitter in the 8th minute and crashed a thumping header against the bar in the 51st.
In the corresponding fixture last season Chelsea were simply embarrassing. They only managed 29% possession and City ended up treating the game like a training exercise. City then were well on target to win the Premier League title and didn’t really need to go for the jugular that day. Bernado Silva scored the only goal of the game, in the 46th minute, and they eased off. Now, neck and neck with Liverpool, it’s a different ball game and goal difference could play a part. But Chelsea could never me be embarrassing as they were last season! Could they?
First Half of the First Half
This time City went full on for the jugular from the kick-off and were brutal in their execution. After four minutes Raheem Sterling fired into the roof of the net after good work by Bernardo Silva on the right. Four minutes later Agüero missed his two yard tap in at the back post after more fine work from Bernado Silva on the left. Pep Guardiola dropped to his knees and buried his head in his hands.
On 13 minutes Guardiola punched his fists and raised his arms, as Agüero unleashed a ferocious shot from 25 yards. Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga got a hand to it but the awesome power gave him no chance.
Chelsea’s Ross Barkley set Aguero up for number three in the 19th minute. On the edge of his penalty box, under no real pressure, Barkley directed a header towards Arrizabalaga. In predatory fashion Agüero intercepted, spun, and his left foot shot found its way into the corner. Six minutes later Ilkay Gundogan found space on the edge of Chelsea’s box and fired in number four.
Chelsea Out Early For Second Half
For the start of the second half Chelsea were out a few minutes before City but nothing changed. Goal number five arrived in the 55th minute when Agüero sent Arrizabalaga the wrong way from the spot. Raheem Sterling won the penalty after a good run down City’s left. Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta, straining every muscle in his body as he tried to challenge Sterling, could only bring him down. On 80 minutes Sterling who started the rout finished it with a left-foot shot from the edge of Chelsea’s six-yard box after good work from Oleksandr Zinchenko.
City Full of Hunger
Chelsea, who enjoyed 26% possession, were totally controlled by City who have a group of players full of hunger, desire, and determination. They never stop running for each other and appear totally motivated. They are delivering Guardiola’s dream.
Had Chelsea, with little hunger, desire, or determination, produced a seemingly impossible and more embarrassing display than last year? The obvious answer is yes. A week ago Chelsea knocked five past Huddersfield. But now City had done a Huddersfield on Chelsea. With an extra goal!
Stubborn Sarri and the N’Golo Kante Factor!
N’Golo Kante played the full 90 minutes in both games and why Chelsea, only lost 1-0 in 2018, could have something to do with him. Back then he played in his traditional midfield holding role. There’s no doubt he’s a special player in that position. One of the best in the world. Unfortunately Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri can’t quite see it that way and plays Kante on the right where he just looks like an ordinary player and, at times, like a fish out of water.
Jorginho, who followed Sarri from Napoli for £50M plus £7M in potential add-ons, is playing in Kante’s position. There is no doubt that Jorginho is a pass master as he’s second in the Premier League passing stats with 2,279 completed passes. But these passes don’t appear to be where it matters. He has no assists and scored his one and only goal, a penalty, back in August. City’s Aymeric Laporte tops the pass master table with 2,312.
Sack Race
Sarri started yesterday’s game at 8/1 in the next Premier League Manager to be sacked sack race. Everton’s Marco Silva lead the way with Leicester’s Claude Puel in the second spot. Sarri sat in fourth place with ‘No Manager to be Sacked’ in third.’ It looks like all three of them are in more trouble with Sarri, who has been creeping up the rails in recent weeks, now a firm favourite with SkyBet at 6/4. He’s also 9/4 not to be in charge when Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup on February 18th. Could Gianfranco Zola be sitting in the hot seat then? Or even José Mourinho?
Golden Boot Race
This race is hotting-up with Agüero, after back to back home hat-tricks against Arsenal and Chelsea, now joining Mo Salah at the top with 17 goals. Salah does have a game in hand but, by last season standards when he had 22 goals after 26 games, he’s not firing with the same consistency. If Agüero, who became City’s top league scorer with 159 after his second goal, stays fit he could win this race.
Player Ratings
Manchester City: Ederson (8), Walker (7), Stones (7), Laporte (7), Zinchenko (8), Fernandinho (7), Gündogan (8), Sterling (8), Kevin De Bruyne (7), Bernardo Silva (8), Sergio Agüero (9)
Subs Jesus (for Agüero, 65) 7; Mahrez (for De Bruyne, 68) 7; D Silva (for Fernandinho, 75) 8
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga (6), Rüdiger (4), Alonso (3), Azpilicueta (3), Luiz (2), Jorginho (4), Kanté (5), Barkley (2), Hazard (4), Pedro (4), Higuaín (5)
.Subs Kovacic (for Barkley, 52) 5; Loftus-Cheek (for Pedro, 65) 5; Emerson (for Alonso, 73) 5
Man of the match: Sergio Agüero
