Aguero treble keeps Tevez in the shade
Sergio Aguero scored a brilliant Barclays Premier League hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Wigan to overshadow completely the return of his compatriot Carlos Tevez to the Manchester City starting line-up.
Aguero was almost unplayable as he vied for the man-of-the-match honours with equally impressive David Silva.
As for Tevez, his less-than-rapturous welcome from the City faithful was compounded by a feeble penalty miss.
This was a steamrollering for Wigan as City made light of the upheaval caused by the departure of chief executive Garry Cook on Friday.
City manager Roberto Mancini could even afford to be leave out Edin Dzeko, scorer of four goals in their last match, and keep him fresh for the club's debut in Champions League against Napoli on Wednesday.
City demonstrated their threat in the opening minutes when Adam Johnson brought down the ball nicely but produced a shot only a golfer would have been proud of, lofted over the bar.
Silva brought a comfortable save out of Ali Al Habsi, before Joleon Lescott headed over from a couple of yards out.
The writing already looked to be on the wall for Wigan, and so it proved as Aguero fired home in the 13th minute.
Tevez was involved, scampering down the left before cutting the ball inside to Silva. His feint wrong-footed Wigan and he fed Aguero, on the right of the area, who shot through Figueroa's legs into the far corner.
If it seemed ominous for Wigan, they were nearly back in the game when Figueroa's ball over the defence caught Vincent Kompany sleeping and Franco Di Santo poked the ball past Joe Hart, but wide of the post too.
Tevez hardly endeared himself to the City fans further by having a weak penalty saved.
Silva won the spot-kick, felled by a crazy lunge from Adrian Lopez, and though Aguero appeared to keen to take it, Tevez insisted.
Aguero continued to impress, bending a shot from the left just past the top corner, then Johnson blasted a couple of yards high from 25 yards out.
Micah Richards hit the underside of the crossbar after a lovely Tevez through-ball - the assistant referee correctly judging the ball did not bounce over the line - before some more Aguero magic saw the Argentinian go inches wide again.
City fans could hardly believe their side were not two up when first Lescott headed against the upright and then Yaya Toure rifled the rebound narrowly passed the other post.
Wigan had had little to shout about and when Victor Moses did get his head to a free-kick he was unable to find the target.
With half-time looming, Hart demonstrated his importance to City with a one-on-one block to deny Di Santo after a deflected shot landed at his feet.
City began the second half in much the same fashion - chances galore without the finishing touch.
Such wastefulness seemed to be inviting Wigan to respond, and they came agonisingly close to doing so when the impressive Moses fed Hugo Rodallega and he teed himself for a fierce drive that Hart managed to keep out by a combination of his hand and leg.
That sparked the end of Tevez's afternoon, replaced by Samir Nasri, and almost immediately City made the game safe.
Nasri was involved as well, nudging a backheel from Silva into Aguero's path and his perfectly-placed curling shot ended up nestling low in the corner of the net.
Aguero's hat-trick arrived in the 69th minute, courtesy of more outstanding play from Silva who spun off his markers and delivered a gorgeous through-ball. Aguero just needed to keep his cool, and he did so with aplomb, rolling the ball easily past Al Habsi.
With the game wrapped up Mancini sent on Mario Balotelli for his hat-trick hero, who departed to a deafening standing ovation.
Johnson should have made it 4-0 but shot too close to the keeper, and then curled wide when handed another chance.
There may be no Cook at City any more - but this was still a feast.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG