Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini hailed the performance of Sergio Aguero after the striker’s four-goal demolition of Tottenham.
Aguero scored all of City’s goals as the champions ran out 4-1 winners over 10-man Spurs in a breathless Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentine also missed a number of other chances, including one of the three penalties he stepped up to take during the game.
Last season Pellegrini suggested Aguero was behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among the world’s best players and, now he has apparently overcome the numerous injuries that have plagued him ever since, the City boss is again of similar opinion.
Pellegrini said: “It was not easy for Kun last year when he had too many injuries. You can’t put in performances like he did today when you’re not 100 per cent fit.
“But now he’s working very well. Maybe he will not score four goals in a game again but he will demonstrate why everyone says he’s one of the best players in the world. I have said before he could be a Ballon d’Or player.
“I have known him a lot of years. I saw his career in Argentina and Spain before he came to England and that’s why I say he’d one of the three or four most important strikers in the world – not ( just) because he scored four goals (today).”
Aguero’s first goal was cancelled out by a Christian Eriksen strike but he restored City’s advantage from the spot. He then had another penalty saved by Hugo Lloris but made sure with his third attempt from 12 yards after Federico Fazio was sent off. He completed the scoring with a second crisp strike after 75 minutes but City’s performance was not all about the Argentinian.
Keeper Joe Hart also had a fine game, making a number of saves in an open encounter, including a penalty stop from Roberto Soldado.
Pellegrini said: “Joe is the number one keeper of England. He made important saves. You will all remember the penalty, which was a good save, but he also made a good save early in the first half.
“But when we win the game it’s not just because of one of two players. It’s about the whole team.
“When you score four goals as Kun did or you make so many good saves as Joe did, then of course it’s very important to our team, but it’s not fair if you don’t talk about what James Milner did or (Vincent) Kompany or (Bacary) Sagna.”
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard is likely to miss City’s Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.
The 36-year-old left the field on a stretcher after going down hurt against Spurs and will now have a scan to determine the seriousness of the problem but there seems little prospect of him being involved in the Russian capital on Tuesday.
Pellegrini said: “Frank has a muscle injury. We will see after the scan but for the moment he will not travel to Russia.”
