By AFPMore by this AuthorMANCHESTERPep Guardiola hailed his side's mental strength as Sergio Aguero's expert hat-trick helped Manchester City beat Newcastle United 3-1 in a win that restored their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Yet any fears City fans might have had about the desire of Guardiola's squad to win the title were put to bed on Saturday after the brilliant Aguero bagged the match ball from a fixture where City ran Newcastle ragged. Guardiola was especially pleased with the way his team managed to recover from their stumble on Merseyside. "The players reacted really well with huge personality," the City manager said. In the corresponding fixture on December 27, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez was slammed by many Magpies fans for his side's extraordinarily negative approach.

Source: Daily Nation January 21, 2018 00:45 UTC