Sergio Aguero's Hat Trick Leads Manchester City Past Arsenal in Premier League

Sergio Aguero put three past Arsenal as Manchester City beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to temporarily move within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.  

The Argentinian broke the deadlock after 48 seconds and scored a second just before the half-time break, keeping them one in front after Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny headed in a swift equaliser for the guests.

The Gunners couldn't fire back a second time, and Aguero settled the result by rounding off his hat-trick on the hour mark, which means Arsenal fall out of the top four.

Consistent Sterling Is the Only Irreplaceable Star in City's Attack

Aguero snatched the headlines with a hat-trick at the Etihad, but Sterling teed up two of those and proved himself to be as much of a crucial component as his Argentinian team-mate.

Of the many numerous world-class options in Pep Guardiola's attack, it's the 24-year-old who made things tick throughout on Sunday, feeding off the midfield energy of David Silva and often transforming their attack:

OptaJoe put Sterling's 100 goal contributions into further context, and it's hugely encouraging for City to see their winger having such a direct impact in finding the back of the net:

Granted, Aguero's reactions were exemplary for all three of his finishes—even the controversial third, which had a hint of hand ball about it—but without trying to insult the player, none were all too complex.

One could argue Gabriel Jesus, another striker with sublime movement and sensationally swift feet, could have done a similar job. The same can't be said for Sterling.

England's dynamo has evolved a great deal since he joined the Citizens for £50 million in 2015 and now dictates games himself, as was the case against Arsenal.

Leroy Sane wasn't missed on the left flank thanks to Sterling's input, and Goal's Sam Lee paid the player high praise after he flipped the switch to craft a crucial second before the break:

StatsBomb's Ted Knutson detailed his ability to make something from nothing:

Sterling has started in 21 of his 22 Premier League appearances this season and is yet to fail to make a City squad in league competition. Only Aymeric Laporte (24) and Fernandinho (23) have started more league games this term.

Guardiola has reaped the rewards of City's transfer riches and has a plethora of superstars at his fingertips, but City hero Sterling is the only man in his attack the Catalan can't afford to lose.

Arsenal Put Top-4 Hopes in Peril With Poor January Business

Arsenal made moves to bolster their defence in the summer, but the club are already paying the price for failing to add more personnel last month following injuries to their back line.

It's perhaps unfair to judge the Gunners defence based on their most recent trip to the Etihad, but then the team has been bashful when travelling away to the Premier League big guns in recent years:

Denis Suarez was the only player signed in January—on loan from Barcelona—but the midfielder couldn't be expected to, say, fill in at right-back. That job was left to 35-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner, one of the faces brought in as cover in the summer.

Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding were each lost to season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injuries towards the end of 2018, and centre-backs Sokratis Papastathopoulosand Koscielny have each endured setbacks this season. It was clear to see Arsenal's defence needed supplies this winter, but all that came was Suarez.

Emery was up front early on in January that the club was low on funds and could only afford loans. Still, a lower-class recruit is better than no recruit at all.

Again, judging a team solely on their display against very capable City isn't fair, but journalist James Benge summed up just how easily the Gunners were torn apart at times:

As things stand, converted midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles and aged Lichtsteiner are all Emery has for senior cover on the right side of defence, and Metro nodded to the waning faith in the latter:

City are the first test of many more to come after the closure of the January transfer window, and it could be no coincidence that falling out of the Premier League's top four is their first manoeuvre in its aftermath.

What's Next?

City are back on the road in midweek and travel to face Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday, while Arsenal will have a few days more to recover before they make their way to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.