Aguero wonder goal sparks Man City's rout of Chelsea
Mourinho's champions made to look average as Pellegrini's side go top
MAN CITY 3
(Sergio Aguero 31, Vincent Kompany 79, Fernandinho 85)
CHELSEA 0
In a congregation of the English Premier League's brightest stars, Sergio Aguero proved to be its supernova.
On a day like this, Chelsea's defenders were left blinded by his brilliance.
They were made to watch, hapless, as the Argentinian toyed with their defensive abilities, and then their egos when he executed the ultimate humiliation.
With his 31st-minute goal, Aguero set Manchester City on their way, before skipper Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho added one apiece late on to complete a 3-0 victory and send last season's runners-up to the Premiership summit.
Aguero, the 2014/15 Premiership top-scorer with 26 goals, provided the cosmic intervention in a clash of titans.
Five touches he took, to pierce the defending champions' armour in the 31st minute.
CHANCES
The first, with his chest, brought the ball under control, the second, with his right foot, brought it back to earth. The third and fourth flicks with the same boot saw him switch direction with the grace of a gazelle, leaving his left foot to finish the job with a low shot to the bottom corner.
Chelsea's famous defensive prowess had no answer.
Aguero's goal was a stellar explosion waiting to happen.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini couldn't be sure if the striker would even start the match, due to a lack of match fitness after being given an extended break for his Copa America involvement. And even when he appeared on the team sheet, there were doubts if he could operate anywhere close to full capacity.
Those fears, though, were erased within 20 seconds of kick-off.
A superb David Silva through-ball saw the 27-year-old race clear of the visiting defence, only for stand-in Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to thwart his effort.
It was the first of numerous warnings.
An Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick just eluded him in front of goal moments later.
Then, two excellent stops by Begovic in as many minutes hinted at a potential fruitless outing for Aguero.
That he could have had a hat-trick by the 17th minute pretty much summed up the proceedings of the match.
Then came his moment of sheer artistry that cracked Chelsea's resistance.
Jose Mourinho's answer to his side's below-par first-half display was to yank off captain John Terry whom, he conceded, lacked pace.
Terry looked a mess when Aguero notched his goal, although the rest of the Chelsea backline were equally out of sorts throughout the match.
That this was the first time Mourinho had substituted Terry in a Premier League game was telling.
But Mourinho failed to reverse the flow of the game, as City's attackers continued to gravitate towards the Chelsea penalty box.
The hosts continued to threaten after the break, with Kolarov going close with a free-kick and Eliaquim Mangala planting his header just wide.
Chelsea carved out two good chances.
But Ramires' elaborate goal celebration was cruelly halted by an offside decision, and later, Eden Hazard saw his fine effort stopped by goalkeeper Joe Hart.
When Kompany extended City's advantage in the 79th minute, a home win became inevitable, and Fernandinho added a third with a thumping shot five minutes from time.
No one, though, could steal the thunder from Aguero, whose glowing performance was a sight to behold.
"The best team in the first half won the game. The best team in the second half was Chelsea for sure."
— Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho after the game
BY THE NUMBERS: 10
Sergio Aguero has scored 10 times in his last nine EPL appearances. He has also bagged 79 EPL goals for Manchester City, more than any other player in the league.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
