Sergio Aguero’s hat-trick led Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday and back into second place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool.
The victory put the pressure on Liverpool ahead off their trip to West Ham United on Monday. Juergen Klopp’s side have 61 points with champions City on 59 and Tottenham Hotspur on 57.
Aguero gave City the lead after 48 seconds with a stooping header after Aymeric Laporte had robbed Alex Iwobi and whipped in a cross.
City were dominant but the Gunners got back on level terms in the 11th minute when Nacho Monreal flicked on a Lucas Torreira corner and defender Laurent Koscielny headed in from two yards out.
Aguero struck again just before the break, tapping in a low cross from Raheem Sterling, who had combined well with Ilkay Gundogan in the build-up.
City’s record scorer wrapped up the win with Sterling again the provider but as Aguero slid in to meet his low cross, the ball appeared to go in off his arm.
It was Aguero’s 10th hat-trick in the Premier League, a record bettered only by Alan Shearer who scored 11. The Argentine striker has netted 20 goals in all competitions this season — the sixth straight campaign he has reached that tally.
LEICESTER CITY 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Earlier on Sunday, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford scored on his 100th Premier League appearance to secure a 1-0 win over Leicester City that kept interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dream start going at his old club.
Having missed a simple header early on, Rashford made up for it in the eighth minute when he latched onto a lovely dink from Paul Pogba over the Leicester defence to smash the ball past Kasper Schmeichel from close range.
The victory moved United onto 48 points, two adrift of Chelsea in fourth place, while Leicester stayed 11th on 32.
Twenty-one-year-old Rashford is the youngest player to reach a century of top-flight appearances for Manchester United since Ryan Giggs in December 1993.
He and Pogba have been in superb form since former Manchester United favourite Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford from the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, guiding the club to nine wins and a draw in all competitions.
After being second best in the first half, Leicester came roaring back in the second, and should have equalised.
Jamie Vardy’s 61st minute overhead volley was clawed away by David de Gea, and Rachid Ghezzal’s 77th minute free kick was flying in before the Spanish goalkeeper tipped it over.