Sergio Aguero scored his 12th hat-trick to become the highest overseas goal scorer in the Premier League history. Meanwhile, City hammered the struggling Aston Villa 6-1.
Aguero’s number of hat-tricks is a Premier League record. Only three men, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Andy Cole are ahead of him on the all-time Premier League list.
The Argentine moved level, then past Thierry Henry before he joined Lampard on 177 goals in England’s top flight.
It was part of a merciless City performance as they took apart Aston Villa who suffered their worst defeat since Liverpool beat them 6-0 in February 2016.
Riyad Mahrez scored the first two with Gabriel Jesus splitting Aguero’s double just before half-time.
The results leave City second. The highest position they have occupied following a full round of matches since the beginning of November.
Relentless Aguero
Some people thought City had wasted their money when they spent £40m to buy Aguero from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
It is now scarcely believable that he was worth the signing.
Aguero scored twice against Swansea on his debut and it feels like he has not stopped finding the net since.
Aguero’s most famous goal came at the end of the first season against QPR to win the title. But for City fans, his impact goes way beyond that single strike.
The 31-year-old is the club’s record scorer who needs one more to reach 250 for the Blues in all competitions.
His first was a ferocious effort, the third a clinical strike after he had been given a clear sight of goal.
“We gave City too much respect.”
Aston Villa manager, Dean Smith said, “It’s tough when you come up against world-class teams.”
“There is professional pride as a coach and a team and the third goal summed it up. They had about 20 passes without us laying a glove on them.”
“We gave them too much respect.”
‘our season is not going to be defined by defeats from Man City and Liverpool. You have to learn from this.”
“We have to ask why weren’t we competitive and why we gave them too much respect.”