LONDON: Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick, set two records and lifted Manchester City back to second in the English Premier League on Sunday with a 6-1 rout at Aston Villa.

City’s Argentine striker is now the highest-scoring foreign player in Premier League history with 177 goals from 255 games, overtaking Thierry Henry’s mark of 175. It was also Aguero’s 12th hat-trick in the league, breaking a tie with Alan Shearer.

“He [Aguero] is a legend and the legend rose tonight,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “I think that Henry is one of the most incredible players I have seen in this league and I think that he will be proud that Sergio is the guy that broke his record. He was a legend and with Sergio it’s the same.”

Aguero also played his part for the team on Sunday, assisting Riyad Mahrez’s opening goal against Villa, who slipped into the relegation zone.

“I want to keep scoring more goals, but it all depends on my team-mates. If they pass to me, then it’s fine,” Aguero said.

Aguero still has some way to go to reach the overall Premier League goals record of 260, set by Shearer.

The title appears out of reach, with a 14-point gap to Liverpool, but City are best of the rest again.

Second-placed City are two points ahead of Leicester City, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on Saturday.

The game was goalless until the 18th minute before City scored three in the next 10 minutes to seize control. First came two goals from Mahrez, who last scored a brace in September 2018. Then there was Aguero’s goal to tie Henry’s record — a powerful, curling right-footed shot from outside the area.

Kevin De Bruyne swung in a perfectly timed cross from deep to leave Gabriel Jesus an easy finish in first-half stoppage time. Aguero made it 5-0 in the 57th minute, strolling through Villa’s defense before hitting the ball past Orjan Nyland in goal. He completed his hat trick in the 81st.

Villa’s only goal came from Anwar El-Ghazi’s penalty in stoppage time. Villa drop to 18th in the table after Watford’s win over Bournemouth earlier on Sunday.

A month ago, Watford looked a dead certain for relegation but Nigel Pearson has turned things around.

Since his appointment as manager, Watford have played six games in the league, winning four and losing just one. Sunday’s 3-0 defeat of Bournemouth lifted the team out of the relegation zone into 17th above Villa, Bournemouth and Norwich City.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Troy Deeney and Roberto Pereyra provided the goals for Watford, with some help from disorganized defending by Bournemouth, who have one win from their last 11 league games.

Current standings

(Tabulated under played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Liverpool 21 20 1 0 50 14 61 Manchester City 22 15 2 5 62 25 47 Leicester City 22 14 3 5 47 21 45 Chelsea 22 12 3 7 39 29 39 Manchester United 22 9 7 6 36 25 34 Sheffield United 22 8 8 6 24 21 32 Wolves 22 7 10 5 31 28 31 Tottenham Hotspur 22 8 6 8 36 31 30 Crystal Palace 22 7 8 7 20 24 29 Arsenal 22 6 10 6 29 31 28 Everton 22 8 4 10 25 32 28 Southampton 22 8 4 10 27 39 28 Newcastle United 22 7 5 10 21 34 26 Brighton 22 6 6 10 25 30 24 Burnley 22 7 3 12 24 37 24 West Ham United 21 6 4 11 25 33 22 Watford 22 5 7 10 20 34 22 Aston Villa 22 6 3 13 28 43 21 AFC Bournemouth 22 5 5 12 20 35 20 Norwich City 22 3 5 14 22 45 14

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2020