The Argentina international striker ran riot as the Premier League champions routed Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon
The Argentine’s haul saw him become the club’s leading Premier League scorer as he tormented a dazzled Spurs defence who just couldn’t handle him.
Christian Eriksen was the only bright spark for Mauricio Pochetttino’s side as he levelled the scores early on but a Federico Fazio red card, a Roberto Soldado missed penalty and three spot-kicks given away goes some way to showing they are as hapless at the back as they are dangerous at the front.
Man City started tenaciously and didn’t give the Tottenham midfield any time to settle on the ball but slowly Spurs improved before Ryan Mason scuffed wide of the upright.
The youngster should have scored the opener after eight minutes when he was slipped through the centre by Roberto Soldado’s marvellous pass, but Joe Hart did well to toe away his right-foot flick before Christian Eriksen lashed another chance well over the bar.
Tottenham paid for their profligacy though when Sergio Aguero, given acres of space, was able to flick the ball out of his feet and whip a low strike beyond Hugo Lloris.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Lilywhites got back on level terms within two minutes when Mason’s tackle on Fernando allowed Soldado to play in Eriksen, who made no mistake from inside the area.
But Tottenham, as they so often do, fell behind again almost immediately when Erik Lamela was adjudged to have fouled Frank Lampard inside the penalty area with Aguero sending Lloris the wrong way with the resulting spot-kick.
It looked like it was about to get even worse for Spurs when a rash Younes Kaboul challenge saw David Silva tumble in the box but second time around Aguero was unable to beat Lloris from 12 yards and looped his acrobatic rebound over.
The French goalkeeper was all of a sudden under extreme pressure and, after Aguero tormented the hapless Kaboul, the 27-year-old superbly denied the Argentine who was in tantalising form for Pellegrini’s side.
At the opposite end though, Eriksen was also looking bright and after sidestepping two challenges in the area he forced a smart stop from Hart, who was alert, if a little clumsy with his handling.
Three minutes after the break it was more of the same from Aguero as his swerving strike from 22 yards was, just about, saved by a bamboozled Lloris and, although Spurs threatened on the counter, they continued to leave themselves open at the back.
Nacer Chadli failed to offer much throughout but his bobbling half volley saw Hart scampering to his right but seconds later it was Lloris again who was at full stretch to deny the voracious Jesus Navas, who looked eager to score his first goal of the season.
In a end-to-end game full of twists and turns, Tottenham were then handed what looked an extremely soft penalty when Soldado was tripped fractionally inside the penalty but Hart’s right glove palmed away the Spaniard’s tame spot-kick.
And England’s No.1 then stopped the former Valencia striker again just seconds later when he blocked a close-range snapshot with his legs.
But just as Spurs looked to be in the ascendency Federico Fazio pulled back Aguero in the box resulting in the game’s fourth penalty, which the Argentine dispatched with glee.
This season there has been plenty of talk about Diego Costa’s emergence as the Premier League’s best striker but, against a calamitous Spurs side, Aguero was simply irresistible and he curled home his and City’s fourth with 15 minutes to go as this time he left Jan Vertonghen sprawling.
An arcing James Milner effort cracked the upright as Man City pushed for more goals in front of a home crowd but Tottenham avoided further humiliation, despite intense pressure, and will now have to regroup ahead of games against Newcastle United and Aston Villa. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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