Manchester City forward, Raheem Sterling scored an 11-minute hat-trick and contributed to two more as Pep Guardiola’s side came from behind to thump Italian side Atalanta in their Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Sergio Aguero also scored two in the first half at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Sterling was the show’s star as the home side made three of three wins to open a five-point lead at the pool’s midway point.
Atalanta have now lost all three of their group matches in their debut season in the Champions League, but started brightly and had the lead via a Ruslan Malinovsky’s penalty.
Nevertheless, the city was decisive in its response and pressed on. Since teenager Phil Foden received a second yellow card in 83 minutes, they finished the game with 10 players.
Atalanta showed admirable ambition in the opening stages and were rewarded on 28 minutes. Malinovsky converted the penalty after Fernandinho had brought down Josip Ilicic just inside the box.
If City were rattled by going behind, they did not show it and instead lifted the tempo of their play.
They were level six minutes later when Sterling’s magnificent cross was turned into the net from close-range by Aguero.
Sterling won a penalty when his surging run was illegally stopped by defender Andrea Masiello for the second clear spot-kick of the night.
Aguero drilled the ball low into the left-hand corner for the lead, but the half ended on a sour note when City’s makeshift centre-back Rodri limped off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by John Stones, himself only just back from a thigh problem.
Sterling got the goal his performance richly deserved on 58 minutes as Kevin De Bruyne picked out Foden in the box and the latter’s lay-off was easy for the winger to finish.
Five minutes later and he had another. Played into space on the left, he turned inside the covering defender and provided an emphatic finish, before his hat-trick was complete when he poked home a Riyad Mahrez cross from close-range.
Sterling should have had a fourth too when Foden’s excellent pass sent him clear on goal, but he put the ball the wrong side of the post.
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