Sergio Aguero was on fire as Manchester City dismantled top-four hopefuls Chelsea at the Etihad.
The Argentine’s hat-trick inspired Manchester City to a 6-0 win against Maurizio Sarri’s side as they returned to the top of the table.
Here are the Manchester City player ratings.
Ederson (8/10): Did well to deny Pedro from scoring in the first half and also made a couple of easy saves to secure a well-deserved clean sheet. He was also flawless with his ball distribution as usual.
Kyle Walker (7.5/10): Played a deeper role in the right-back position and helped out the centre-backs during defensive stances. A solid and comprehensive performance from the England international.
John Stones (7.5/10): Did find it hard it defend against the likes of Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuain, at times, but he those situations were rare and only in the first half. Stones played a key role in City’s build-up from the back.
Aymeric Laporte (8/10): A flawless display from the Frenchman, whose laser passes and accurate long-balls added another dimension to Manchester City’s build-up from the back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (9/10): Had a couple of sloppy touches early on but grew into the game, especially in the second half where the Ukrainian was deeply involved in his side’s attacking forays. Finished the game with two assists.
Fernandinho (8.5/10): Provided the solidity in the midfield as the Brazilian won numerous loose balls and also made driving runs into the final third, whenever he had the opportunity.
Kevin de Bruyne (9/10): A comprehensive performance from the Belgian international, who orchestrated the play with his quality on the ball and his weight of passing.
Ilkay Gundogan (9.5/10): One of the best players for the hosts this evening, Ilkay Gundogan played a crucial role in his team’s transition from midfield to attack and also combined well with his teammates in the final third. Scored his fifth goal of the campaign when his curling effort took a deflection and found the back of the net.
Bernardo Silva (9.5/10): An astonishing display from the Portuguese international, whose incredible work-ethic saw him press the Chelsea defenders as well as creating chances for his teammates. His combination with De Bruyne was also eye-catching.
Sergio Aguero (10/10): Missed a golden opportunity early on but managed to make amends in an assertive fashion when the Argentine scored his first and City’s second with a beautiful curling effort.
It was Aguero’s willingness to become involved in City’s build-up, which was the standout feature of his performance this evening. The former Atleti forward equalled Alan Shearer’s record of 11 hat-tricks in the Premier League after successfully converting the spot-kick in the second half. A definite man of the match display!
Raheem Sterling (9.5/10): Arguably the most active Manchester City attacker this evening, Sterling relentlessly probed and tested the Chelsea defenders throughout the course of this game and finally found the back of the net in the 80th minute through an easy tap-in.
Substitutes
Gabriel Jesus (7/10): Replaced Aguero in the 65th minute and though the Brazilian failed to find the back of the net, he played some neat passes with his teammates in the final third.
Riyad Mahrez (6.5/10): Failed to make any noticeable impact after replacing De Bruyne in the 68th minute.
David Silva (6.5): An exquisite pass to find Zinchenko, whose cross found Sterling for City’s sixth goal of the evening.
