Carlos helped himself to three goals and two assists in a typically influential performance from the Argentine talisman in City’s 5-0 romp at home to Barnsley.
For the past three seasons, the 28-year old has timed his purple patches with the business end of the campaign to put the Blues in contention for honours.
The standing ovation from the City faithful when Tevez was substituted in the 77th minute said it all for our unanimous choice for man of the match.
Let’s examine some of the reaction to that striking masterclass from the Buenos Aries Blue.
City TV: Spotlight
Mixed Zone
Tim Rich of the Independent led the tributes to Tevez in his match report, concluding that Barnsley just couldn’t live with the diminutive forward in this kind of form.
“Flitcroft is an inventive manager who has taken his team to Spain to prepare for League games and had used Manchester United’s training ground at Carrington to ready his players for what was to come here,” Rich wrote.
“But wherever he went, Flitcroft would not have discovered an antidote to Tevez in this kind of mood.
“[For Tevez’s second]The defender might have expected a back-flick from the Argentinian’s yellow boots; instead they turned venomously on him and City were three up.”
Simon Mullock’s Daily Mirror match report is cheekily headlined: “Hat-trick hero Tevez is the driving force in FA Cup rout”.
Mullock writes: “It was his fifth hat-trick for City and with 15 goals for the season he now tops the club’s scoring charts.
“They would have been glad to see the back of Tevez when the Argentine walked off to a standing ovation after being replaced by James Milner 14 minutes from time.”
In his own words
Stat Attack
Up for the cup: Carlos has never been on the losing side in an FA Cup tie with City (P10, W9, D1)
Heavily involved: Since Aug 2006, Tevez has scored or assisted 116 Premier League goals, only Rooney, Robin van Persie, Lampard and Berbatov have more.
Trickster: He has now scored six hat-tricks since moving to England, five of them for Manchester City.
Hot streak: Tevez has now scored in four successive games in all competitions.
@MCFC
Join us next week where we’ll turn the Spotlight on City’s Man of the Match from Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park where Everton provide the opposition.
