Man City 6-1 Newcastle: Sergio Aguero scores five goals

Sergio Aguero scored five goals in 23 minutes for Manchester City as they came from behind to beat Newcastle United 6-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Newcastle took a shock lead after 18 minutes through Aleksandar Mitrovic's header, before Aguero levelled things up three minutes before half-time from close range.

Aguero put City 3-1 up after the break with two goals in two minutes, before Kevin De Bruyne's deft finish put the hosts out of reach.

The unstoppable Aguero added a fourth for himself and a fifth for City on the hour mark, and then another from De Bruyne's cross on 62 minutes, completing an incredible 23-minute spell to put his side 6-1 up against a shell-shocked Newcastle.

Aguero is only the fifth player to achieve a five-goal haul in a Premier League game after Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov. 

The win returns City to the top of the Premier League, while Newcastle manager Steve McClaren remains without a league win after eight games.

City were coming off the back of an important win at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday, but showed signs of tiredness in a first half that belonged to Newcastle.

Mitrovic netted his first goal for Newcastle early on, getting on the end of Giorginio Wijnaldum's deft cross to head into the bottom left corner from 10 yards.

Newcastle then had two fine chances to double their lead in quick succession, both falling to Mitrovic.

First, the Serb's free header from Vurnon Anita's deep cross went over the bar, before Joe Hart brilliantly thwarted him after being played through one-on-one by Moussa Sissoko.

City got into their flow late in the first half, Aguero coming close to levelling after driving a left-footed effort just wide of Tim Krul's goal from the edge of the box, but the Argentine did get his first on 42 minutes.

After a corner broke to the edge of the box, Silva's superb lofted ball over the top of the defence found Fernandinho at the far post, and after a deft touch across the six-yard box, Aguero finished off with a close-range header.

There was an element of fortune to Aguero's second on 49 minutes, seeing his shot from the edge of the area deflect off Yoan Gouffran and wrong-foot Tim Krul, but his hat-trick goal a minute later was more trademark, chipping over the Newcastle goalkeeper after De Bruyne had found him through on goal.

It was 4-1 three minutes later, De Bruyne going from provider to goalscorer by volleying home at the far post from substitute Jesus Navas' cross.

Aguero, who had only scored once in the league this season before Saturday, curled an 18-yard effort into the bottom right corner having made a yard of space for himself to put City 5-1 up, and he completed the rout two minutes later.

De Bruyne caught Newcastle's sleepy defence napping with a low pass across the face of the goal for Aguero to simply convert from close range.

But City manager Manuel Pellegrini denied Aguero the opportunity to become the first player to score a double hat-trick in the Premier League, taking the 27-year-old off moments later for Wilfried Bony.

Newcastle settled in the final stages to keep the score down, substitute Kelechi Iheanacho going closest after forcing Krul into a good save inside the penalty area.

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Charlie Nicholas' verdict on Soccer Saturday

At half time it could have been 4-1 to Newcastle. Manchester City were completely unbalanced in the first half an hour, but moving De Bruyne to the right changed the game. There are always turning points and if you don't score your chances, and the Mitrovic chance before half time was that point.

I've never seen such a dramatic turn from a team. Four goals in seven minutes is incredible. Some great finishing, but Newcastle were terrible at the back today.

This defence is not right, and something needs to change. City got out of a mess today, and yet it ends up so emphatic.

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Player ratings

Man City: Hart (6), Zabaleta (7), Otamendi (6), Mangala (6), Kolarov (8), Fernando (7), Fernandinho (7), Silva (8), Sterling (5), De Bruyne (9), Aguero (10)

Subs: Navas (7), Bony (6), Iheanacho (6)

Newcastle: Krul (4), Janmaat (5), Mbemba (4), Coloccini (4), Mbabu (3); Sissoko (4), Anita (5), Gouffran (5), Wijnaldum (5); Perez (5), Mitrovic (5)

Subs: Lascelles (5), Tiote (5), Thauvin (5)

Man of the match: Sergio Aguero

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