Erling Haaland became the first player to score three straight Premier League hat-tricks at home .
Phil Foden also bagged three goals in a 6-3 defeat over Manchester United,as Pep Guardiola's men moved back within one point off league leaders Arsenal to extended their unbeaten run in England's top flight to 20 games.
The first half was one-way traffic with David de Gea pulling off a point-blank save to deny Kevin De Bruyne before Bernardo Silva's follow-up was blocked by Scott McTominay.
However, Foden opened the scoring on eight minutes, cleverly steering in Silva's cross following a intricate team move which started when Jodon sancho was Dispossessed by former Borussia Dortmund player .
Pep Guardiola's men went within a whisker of making it 2-0 when İlkay Gündoğan's free-kick cannoned off De Gea's left-hand post.
Shortly after the half-hour mark though, Kevin De Bruyne delivered a set-piece, placing it on Haaland's head as the Norwegian directed his effort just over the goal line.
Raphaël Varane received treatment for an injury shortly after. No sooner had Varane returned to the pitch then it was three.
Jack Grealish drove upfield as United's defenders backed off before the England winger fed De Bruyne, whose inch-perfect clipped cross found Haaland,sneaking in behind Varane to apply the finishing touch.
City added a fourth before HT, picking off their opponents on the counter-attack.
De Bruyne surged forward and slipped in Haaland down the left flank, with the striker turning provider to put the ball on a plate for Foden to slide home for his 50th City goal in all competitions, breaking Lionel Messi's record as the youngest player to bring up that milestone under Guardiola's tutelage.
Manchester United got one back after the break when Antony collected Christian Eriksen's raking crossfield ball,cut inside Grealish and curled wonderfully beyond Ederson.Normal service was resumed when City built from the back with brutal simplicity, having had Gündoğan, Silva, Grealish and De Bruyne all getting involved before Sergio Gomez's well measured pass was swept in by Haaland for his record-breaking strike to score his 14th goal in just eight league games.
Soon after, the other 22-year-old got his own match ball, as Foden stretched to find Haaland's threaded pass for his first-ever senior haa-trick.
Anthony Martial claimed a late brace, pouncing on Ederson's parry from Fred's shot and then converted a deserved 91st-minute penalty to record his fourth and fifth goals in this fixture.
Manchester City now wait to face Copenhagen FC at Etihad stadium on Wednesday again in the UEFA Champions League, with Manchester United travelling to Cyprus to face Omonia Nicosia the following day in the Europa League.
Content created and supplied by: Kel.oti (via Opera News )
COMMENTS