Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City swept
Huddersfield aside with an emphatic 6-1 victory on Super Sunday.
City's all-time leading goalscorer was on target twice in
the first half (25, 35), either side of a low finish from Gabriel Jesus, as the
champions took total control of their first home game of the new Premier League
season.
Jon Stankovic tapped in a lifeline for Huddersfield two
minutes before half-time, but David Silva's sublime free-kick re-established
City's three-goal cushion on 47 minutes.
Aguero sealed the 13th hat-trick of his Manchester City
career 14 minutes from the end, before Terence Kongolo's own goal six minutes
from time completed the rout as Pep Guardiola's side laid down an early marker
in the title race.
Player ratings
Man City: Ederson (8), Laporte (7), Stones (7), Kompany (7),
Mendy (8), D Silva (9), Fernandinho (7), Gundogan (7), B Silva (7), Aguero (9),
Jesus (8).
Subs: Mahrez (6), Sane (7), Foden (n/a)
Huddersfield: Hamer (3), Smith (5), Stankovic (6), Kongolo
(4), Schindler (6), Lowe (6), Hadergjonaj (6), Billing (6), Pritchard (5),
Sabiri (6), Mounie (6).
Subs: Depoitre (6), Diakhaby (6), Sobhi (n/a)
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero
Goalkeeper Ederson was the architect of the opening goal in
the 25th minute, hitting a goal-kick long into the path of Aguero who evaded
the attention of Christopher Schindler and chipped the onrushing Ben Hamer from
the edge of the penalty area.
The second came six minutes later when Mendy cut in from the
left and exchanged passes with Jesus before the ball ricocheted back into the
path of the striker and he shot low with his left foot past Hamer's near post.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper was slow getting down, but
Aguero's second four minutes later was even more embarrassing. Hamer palmed
Mendy's left-wing cross back out into play and the Argentine was alert to tap
into an empty net.
Team news
Pep Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection,
leaving out Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. They were replaced
by Gabriel Jesus, Vincent Kompany and David Silva with Kevin De Bruyne injured
and Leroy Sane on the bench. Jon Stankovic made his first Huddersfield
appearance since March 2017.
Huddersfield somehow found a way into the game on 43 minutes
when Philip Billing's throw-in was flicked on by Steve Mounie for Stankovic to
prod in from close range, but the respite was only temporary as David Silva
stepped up to curl a brilliant free-kick past Hamer two minutes after
half-time.
With the result beyond doubt, Aguero chased his hat-trick
and went close when his left-footed long-ranger fizzed back off the post in the
57th minute and he lashed over two minutes later after a one-two with Jesus.
But his third goal arrived with his last touch of the game
in the 76th minute as he expertly back-heeled Mendy's cross across Hamer before
his replacement Leroy Sane engineered a sixth goal when his close-range effort
was blocked by Hamer and bounced in off the unfortunate Kongolo.
The result puts City top of the fledgling Premier League
table and will leave many wondering if they can possibly be stopped in their pursuit
of back-to-back titles.
