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City turn up pressure on Liverpool with win over Arsenal

Sergio Aguero turned up the heat in the title race by scoring his second Premier League hat-trick of the season as Manchester City swept aside Arsenal 3-1 at the Etihad.

The Argentinian striker scored in the first minute for the second successive game and added two more either side of the break as City climbed back into second place, just two points behind leaders Liverpool.

It was a strong response to last Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle and led to a significant shift in City's title odds from 7-4 to 13-10.

Aguero has scored 14 league goals, two fewer than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, and has been cut to from 6-1 to 3-1 with Paddy Power to top the scoring charts.

The City man’s heroics proved costly for Betfred. The firm’s Hat-Trick Heaven offer trebles the first-scorer odds of any player who goes on to score a hat-trick so backers of Aguero to notch first were paid out at 15-2.

Arsenal's defeat meant they slipped to sixth and remain three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Champions League qualification remains possible but it was a chastening experience for Unai Emery's side, who are 7-2 for a top-four finish.

Manchester United are fifth, their highest position this season, after Marcus Rashford's ninth-minute goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

Rashford latched on to a superb pass from Paul Pogba to hand United their eighth win in nine games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United have been cut to 6-4 for a top-four finish.

Rashford has nine league goals this season, more than in any previous campaign, and has 13 more games to add to the total.

Bet365 bet on Rashford's final tally and make 15-19 goals the evens favourite and 20 or more a 14-1 chance.

Leicester won the shot count 17-10 but the pressure is mounting on Claude Puel, who is Paddy Power's 11-10 favourite to be the next manager to go.

Celtic moved six points clear of Rangers at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership by beating St Johnstone 2-0.

Second-half goals from James Forrest and Timothy Weah sealed the points for the Bhoys, who were cut to 1-8 to retain their title. Rangers were eased from 11-2 to 6-1.

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