Manchester City manager, Manuel Pellegrini, has said that Kelechi Iheanacho’s hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, was not a surprise to him.
The Nigerian youngster was the star of the show, as he scored three and set up the fourth for Raheem Sterling, to book City’s place in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Iheanacho, 19, has now scored eight times and Pellegrini stated that he has justified his decision to allow strikers Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic leave last symmer.
The Chilean manager told a news conference: “I see him working every day so I know what he can do during the game. Maybe I received some criticism for why we didn’t replace Dzeko and Jovetic at the beginning of the season and I answered that we have Kelechi.
“It’s very important for him to have the chance to demonstrate why he is in this squad so I think that was a very useful game for him.
“To score a hat trick is not easy but I’m impressed because I see him in the way he works every day and how he’s improving in every session working with these important players.”
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