Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
Aguero treble keeps pressure on Reds and Rashford goal sees off Leicester
03 Feb 2019
Chapter 1: What were the key moments of Sergio Aguero's hat-trick against Arsenal?
Aguero!
It is a fast start.
Stirling, Aguero, what a goal.
Here's Stirling. And Aguero! It's been another three-goal surge from Sergio.
City bounced back with a bit of help from Sergio Aguero. It's now 219 goals he's scored for Manchester City, his 10th Premier League hat-trick. And him and Fernandinho had an unusual role today for City in chatting with Jeff Shreves. Sergio, Fernandinho, was that exactly what you needed after the loss to Newcastle?
Yeah, of course. Of course, we wanted to... go back on track, the winning way, and of course playing good football. I think today we deserved it because we went for the game from the first minute, so we scored another early goal, and I think we controlled the game and we deserved the win.
Another early goal, another goal in the first minute, what's happening?
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Chapter 2: How did Manchester City respond after their loss to Newcastle?
I don't know, but it's important to win because the other day I scored early, 25 seconds, and then we lost, but today I'm very happy.
After you took the lead so early, do you think your level dropped a little in the first half?
No, I don't think so. They scored a goal in a set-piece, so they are very dangerous set-pieces, and we saw that before the game. They are really good, so I think we didn't drop the level. We maintained our rhythm, we maintained the way we were playing, and of course at the end of the first half we scored the second goal, and in the second half we controlled the game.
Sergio, your tenth Premier League hat-trick for Manchester City. Did you know much about the third goal?
Yeah, I think it was nine, but now it's good to remember ten. No, I'm very happy, just the more important is the score, it's important to win, no?
Did it come off of your arm?
Honestly, I think it was in the chest, but now I saw it on TV, it was the handball.
It was her decision, it was a goal, it doesn't matter.
Tell us about your role today, the position you played, and what the manager was looking for.
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Chapter 3: What tactical adjustments did City make to secure their victory?
So I think that works today.
Enjoy it?
Yeah, a bit. So playing back there, you know, you can... You have the whole vision of the pitch and you go in the middle, you know exactly what you have to do because it's the same position I have been playing this season so far. And of course I'm happy to help my teammates to win that game, an important game.
How much is there a determination as well amongst the players to fight all the way to the end of the season between you and Liverpool and Tottenham as well?
No, the important thing is to fight every game, so now we have to think about Everton again, because I think it will be so difficult against Everton.
OK, well, you certainly did your job today. Congratulations, unsurprisingly, you are the Premier League man of the match. You do the honours, please, and hand it over. Well done, guys, thank you. 219 goals, incredible effort from Sergio Aguero, and all three for City today against Arsenal. 59% possession to Arsenal's 41, but that key statistic is the top one. 19 attempts to Arsenal's four.
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Chapter 4: What role did Fernandinho play in the match against Arsenal?
The last of those four from Arsenal coming in the 39th minute, and that, remember, is a team that was chasing the game. But City first, Jamie. If you're Pep Guardiola, you've just lost against Newcastle. feel the pressure building, everyone talking about whether this is a team that's going to fall away. How pleased would you be by that reaction?
Very pleased, no doubt. I mean, the way they've been starting games in the last game, obviously they scored very early. It's a massive thing in one of the sort of big head-to-head rivals, one of your top six rivals. I think we said before the game, on the back of a defeat, if there's a game that you'd sort of like to play or if there was an opposition you could pick...
Arsenal will be one of them coming here. I think Arsenal are probably lucky it wasn't more, really. But I don't think it was ever, maybe I've mentioned it before, I don't think it was ever in question whether there'd be a reaction from City or all of a sudden they were going to fall apart and not challenge for the title. It's all about a very special side here.
I mean, they lost a poor result for them, obviously, in midweek. I didn't expect anything other than a City three-pointer and a convincing performance today, really, because they will be disappointed on the back of what's happened, but nothing or so there surprised me.
Chapter 5: How did Manchester United secure their win against Leicester City?
Was it then excellence from Manchester City, Alex, or did Arsenal make it too easy for them?
No, you can see what Arsenal tried to do in the first half, tactically sitting behind with Guendouzi and Torreira coming into the back line to track those runs of Kevin De Bruyne and Silva. But ultimately, when you look at overall the game, they were outclassed with City crafting openings. Well, the three goals came down the right hand of Arsenal.
Lichstein, I have to say, I don't think was... Well, wasn't good enough today for... And you can see with Awobi... starting to help double up down that area because you can see that was the weak link today. Every single goal, it was a repeat pattern, it didn't change, but ultimately City were at another level today.
I know you're spot on about today. That's not just today. Lichtensteiner is not good enough. Maybe you could add because of his age and the fella next to him, Mustafi, has never been good enough since the day he walked through the door. And that's the reasons why all the goals come down there. To see Arsenal defend like that, really, there's a big job there for Unai Emery to do.
I said in commentary that... We debated when he first came in how he wants to play, how he wants to go about it.
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Chapter 6: What impact does Rashford's goal have on Manchester United's top-four hopes?
He's done a few different things, I think, since he's come to Arsenal, different formations at times. We saw them at Chelsea early on where they tried to push up right to the halfway line. They got done, runs in behind it. It was Morata that day. Today they've gone really deep, the opposite. But you never, ever feel secure with anything Arsenal does, any set-up the manager does.
He went three at the back for a time this season. I think Cardiff in midweek actually had probably better chances than Arsenal do. So everything he tries there defensively just doesn't seem to work for them.
It was like reading of the games at times, defensively, with Monreal on the other side also. Lutz Steiner, he just looked off the pace. So he doesn't know whether to go and close the ball down. He doesn't know whether to drop.
I think in that first half, Laporte, Graham, me and you were discussing it, he had time to chest the ball, bring the ball down, and Lutz Steiner, he's backing away instead of actually going to close down in his own penalty area.
Chapter 7: What are the implications of this weekend's results for the title race?
You look like you're about to unload something.
LAUGHTER
You break the match down, I think obviously them getting the early goal, you thought City would have gone on and got more. Somehow Arsenal got themselves back into the game. This is the first goal. What Awobi is doing dwelling on this ball on the edge of his box when it first comes in. from Silva. Comes straight back out with Awobi on the ball. Now here, son, just clear your lines.
Open your body on your right foot. Don't come back in the way. Laporta wins it back off him. And it's sort of the ultimate, you know, a poacher there, Aguero. Easy goal for him. But this is so avoidable if you're after him.
Chapter 8: How do the Manchester clubs compare in terms of squad depth and performance?
48 seconds as well. Let's not forget that. All your plans that you have coming here... Just do your job defensively. Look, open your body up, get it on your right foot, your good foot, pull it down the line, steady comes in the way.
I mean, before the Awobi mistake, again, the goal, you see the cross come in, it's Aguero again, but before the Awobi mistake, it's actually someone making a run in behind and getting to that byline again, making the run between... the full-back and the centre-back, so if you see that there again, see that run?
See, that's what happened time and time again, and I'll be honest with you, I was disappointed with Unai Emery, it didn't feel like there was some sort of plan, and stop now, the plan of the game is to defend deep, the reason Obi's took the extra touches, because he sees his two strikers ten yards away from him, now he still should clear it, Graham's right, but that's happened, you get the ball, you look up, there's no one there, you look for the pass.
it's gone but initially it comes from that run and you mentioned about the midfield players going back with De Bruyne and Silva from up there it just didn't look like there was some sort of plan of how they were going to deal with them and it ended up being that Guendouzi ended up in the back five made it really and I just think it's strange that he never went with the back five considering he had Kalasinic as a left winger and played like that and I was disappointed there because it looked as if
He didn't really have a plan to stop probably the two best players.
But do you think, Graham, watching from here, and Arsenal got themselves level at that point, it was more comfortable. It wasn't that City were missing chances at that point. Do you think he might have been watching it and thinking, we're doing OK? I think they got themselves back into the game at 1-1. And that second half, you'd be encouraged if you were Unai Emery.
The second half of the first half. In the first half, after they get it back to 1-1, they seem to weather the storm. City weren't causing them too many problems. But when they concede the goal right on half-time, that's as if the wind went right out of their sails. And I just don't... Did they put that much work into the first half to stop City that ran out of steam in the second half?
I don't know, but I think City found another gear in the second half. I mean, that ball from Gundogan is just perfect. It's not an easy volley from Sterling here. Alex, what do you like about this? Just literally, look, he's here, so he's not going to close him down, and then he runs off your shoulder. That is just like defending that you should, and the other side with Monreal as well.
He squeezes up too soon and allows Aguero to run off his shoulder the other side. It's like you do all that work in the week to build a team shape, but then it's individual mistakes that let you down as well. If you're Unai Emery, you've lost Hector Bellerin for a long time. You're probably going to pick Ainsley Maitland-Niles if he's fit, but he can't play either.
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