NEWCASTLE, May 15: Maybe the replacement for departing Manchester City great Sergio Aguero is already in the squad.
Ferran Torres demonstrated his scoring instincts by netting a hat trick as newly crowned champion Manchester City won a record 12th straight away game in the English Premier League, 4-3 at Newcastle on Friday.
That’s 13 goals in his debut season at City for the Spain international, who is naturally a winger but has filled in as a striker at times whenever Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have been absent.
With the title wrapped up on Tuesday with three matches to spare, City looks like it will have some fun in the final week of the campaign and Torres certainly enjoyed himself at St. James’ Park.
He scored twice in three minutes from the 64th as City fought back from 3-2 behind. City moved 13 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, which handed its neighbor the title by losing to Leicester in midweek.
Newcastle, which is safe from relegation, went ahead through Emil Krafth’s header at a corner in the 25th before Joao Cancelo equalized off a deflected shot that spun into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 39th.
Torres produced an impressive flicked volley in mid-air three minutes later as City moved ahead 2-1, only for Joelinton to get fouled in the area by Nathan Ake and dust himself down to convert the penalty past Carson in first-half stoppage time.
Newcastle was awarded another penalty when Joe Willock was tripped by Kyle Walker and the fouled player again took the spot kick. This time, Carson made the save, but the ball rebounded out and Willock converted into an empty net in the 62nd.
Walker teed up Torres to equalize, and the winger was on hand to volley the winning goal high into the net when Cancelo’s shot came back off the post.
In another match, Leeds extended Burnley’s winless run at home to nine games with a 4-0 victory on Saturday that bolstered their bid for a top-10 finish in the English Premier League.
Substitute Rodrigo scored two late goals to give Leeds a four-point cushion over 11th-place Aston Villa.
Mateusz Klich finished a counterattack by curling in a shot shortly before halftime, and Jack Harrison doubled the lead at the hour mark by getting a touch to flick Ezgjan Alioski’s low shot into the net.
Nathan Tella scored his first goal for Southampton in a 3-1 win over already-relegated Fulham. Southampton took the lead in the first half when Che Adams scored from a James Ward-Prowse free kick. Tella slotted home a second moments after coming onto the field on the hour mark. Carvalho pulled one back for Fulham with a well-struck shot off the underside of the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, however, substitute Theo Walcott restored Saints’ advantage with a clinical finish. (AP)
