Last gasp victory against Borussia Monchengladbach sets up key clash
After last week's results, it's still looking like the Premier League title is Manchester City's to lose. As more key players are beginning to return from injury, we only expect things to get better for the Citizens from here on out.
If fans were worried about Sergio Aguero finding his scoring shoes, they should be feeling a lot better after witnessing the striker's peerless performance against Newcastle United on October 3. City completely dominated Newcastle 6 to 1 with a supposedly injured Aguero putting on a clinic. He scored 5 goals in less than 25 minutes, the fastest since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. According to a match re-cap by the BBC, Aguero is only the fifth player to score five goals in a Premier League game. The striker joins Alan Shearer, Dimitar Berbatov, Andy Cole and Jermain Defoe in the exclusive club.
The victory over the Magpies put City back at the top of the tables with Arsenal nipping at the the team's heels following a masterful performance against Manchester United last weekend. The high-scoring victory also comforted fans who may have been anxious about the future of the squad after a disappointing match against Tottenham Hotspur coupled with an unfortunate string of injuries.
The team has been forced to deal with injuries to key players including David Silva, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Samir Nasri. New signing Fabian Delph is also still out with an injury in addition to veteran defender Gael Clichy, not to mention midfielder Samir Nasri. Forwards Wilfried Bony and Kelechi have also been sidelined with injuries during this season.
Thankfully, the team had an eventful transfer window and made out like a spoiled kid on Christmas that got pretty much everything they wanted. The signing of Kevin de Bruyne is looking like it's working out rather well for the squad as the Belgian wunderkind has scored in three times in four matches for Manchester City. If the slew of injuries has the team concerned they're certainly not showing it, and the squad showed up to play Newcastle minus both Kompany and Toure and proceeded to completely dominate the Toon.
While the team continues to perform well in the domestic league, the big question will be the team's continued performance in the UEFA Champions League in the face of so many injuries. Even the best teams often struggle with the strain of a full schedule that includes league and international soccer, and with injuries it can be that much more difficult. The team is currently third in its group with Sevilla barely holding the edge by only one goal differential. If City can convincingly beat Sevilla, they should comfortably be able to see themselves through to the knockout stage.
An away win against Borussia Monchengladbach was certainly a big help, but it will be crucial for City to take away three points from Sevilla during their next home match on October 21. Supporters looking to learn more can find fixture info on Betfair as well as a better look at the odds of City's group stage success. It's been a tough Champions League campaign for all the Premier League teams although the site notes that City currently have the best odds of raising the trophy with a 17/1 chance.
It also looks as if the team is looking to improve its odds through a few key signings once the transfer window opens up again. City already stole away Raheem Sterling from Liverpool and the Mirror is reporting a transfer rumour that the team may look to raid the Reds once again. Word on the street is that the Sky Blues have their eyes on midfielder Philippe Coutinho to bolster the squad amidst injuries to Silva and Nasri. If Coutinho joins a team that's already pretty much playing on video-game mode, there will be little to stand in City's way of finally hoisting the Champions League trophy.