Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho had a hat trick as his side crushed Aston Villa, 4-0, on Saturday in the F.A. Cup fourth round, with Raheem Sterling also on target.
It was only the fifth start of the season for Iheanacho, a 19-year-old Nigerian, but he has now found scored eight goals, vindicating manager Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to leave Sergio Aguero on the bench.
City’s win kept it in contention for glory on four fronts, with Pellegrini’s team 3 points below leaders Leicester City in the Premier League and through to the Champions League last 16 and the League Cup final.