Aguero on target as Manchester City goes 3rd

Sunderland - Sergio Aguero's 23rd goal of the season helped Manchester City reclaim third place in the Premier League thanks to a comfortable 2-0 win at struggling Sunderland on Sunday.

A fifth goal in three games from the in-form Argentina international, whose future at the club has been clouded by the recent impact of the now injured Gabriel Jesus, paved the way for City's seventh victory in eight unbeaten games.

The win left Pep Guardiola's side a point behind second-placed Tottenham and eight adrift of leader Chelsea.

Not for the first time, Aguero's finishing instincts in front of goal embellished what was never more than a workmanlike display against Sunderland.

City's top scorer was denied a late second goal by 'keeper Jordan Pickford after Leroy Sane put the result beyond doubt by doubling his side's advantage just before the hour when the German midfielder rounded-off a counter-attack to score for the third consecutive game.

Sunderland's problems continued as it stretched its unwanted league run to just one victory in 10, a sequence which has seen it take just five points from the last possible 30 to leave the Black Cats six points adrift of safety going into the final 10 games of the season.

Aguero's deadlock-breaking effort - his fifth goal in as many games against the Wearsiders - ensured Sunderland was made to rue such profligacy in front of goal as the South American continues to fill the goal-scoring void left by the injury to Jesus.

Silva almost put the visitor ahead shortly before Aguero's latest clinical finish, when the Spaniard, in front of an unguarded goal, narrowly failed to reach Sane's low cross at the culmination of another Yaya Toure-inspired move.

Sane, however, went from provider to goalscorer 14 minutes into the second half to kill the game as a contest.

Sterling's pass released David Silva from the half-way line to exploit the time and space afforded him by the Sunderland defence. He played a perfectly-weighted through ball for Sane to outpace the labouring Jones before beating Pickford with a low angled drive from 12 yards which found the net via the keeper's left-hand post.

It cemented a fifth straight league victory for City, its best run since they opened the campaign with six consecutive wins.