Despite Eden Hazard's awards blitz last season, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is surely the greatest player to currently grace the Premier League.
The Argentine was in mind-blowing, record-breaking form on Saturday to take City back to the top of the table and make Steve McClaren's Newcastle United regret having the temerity to take the lead.
His five-goal haul placed him alongside Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov as the only other Premier League players to have managed the feat.
'It was about time he scored for us, I think he'll say the same,' said Hart. 'He has been playing well but they've not being going in. It's an old-school saying that they were going to come and they were going to flood, but we all knew that was going to be the case.'
It's hard to imagine now in the Aguero after-glow but City came into the match under real pressure having lost their last two league games against West Ham and Tottenham and regular skipper Vincent Kompany again missing with a calf problem.
The mood of anxiety wasn't helped by Newcastle making a unexpectedly enterprising start that was rewarded after 18 minutes when Serbian forward Aleksandr Mitrovic headed in Georgino Wijnaldum's cross. Mitrovic had the ball in the net again soon after, but it was ruled out for offside to McClaren's chagrin.
City were struggling and badly needed the 42nd minute equaliser given to them by Aguero. David Silva's far post cross was headed into the six-yard box by Fernandinho and the poacher was in prime position to nod in from close range.
The best work of all was done by Fernandinho in the immediate aftermath of the goal, grabbing the ball and running straight back to the centre circle, a real statement of intent for what followed at the start of the second half.
After Aguero had received treatment in the interval and Pellegrini had hooked Raheem Sterling for Jesus Navas, they were rampant at the start of the second period.
'It must have been good treatment for Sergio,' smiled Pellegrini. He wasn't wrong.
After 49 minutes, Chancel Mbemba needlessly surrendered possesion and within a flash Kevin De Bruyne and Silva had combined for Aguero to shoot home from the edge of the box via a slight deflection from Yoan Gouffran.
The hat-trick goal arrived in the following minute. A slide-rule pass was supplied by De Bruyne and Aguero finished classily by lifting a first-time finish over the advancing Tim Krul.
Uncharacteristically, Pellegrini celebrated the fifth-quickest hat-trick in Premier League history with a joyous fist-pump on the touchline.
By now, Newcastle were totally unable to cope with City let alone considering a first league win of the season.
De Bruyne volleyed in a fourth home goal and then Aguero bagged his fifth with a low curled finish from the angle of the 18-yard box.
When De Bruyne set up his fifth with a cross from the left converted from close range, maybe Pellegrini decided to declare, taking off Aguero to give Wilfried Bony a run-out.
'It was a precaution. Kun had a kick at the back of his hamstring (v Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday night) and he was not 100 per cent comfortable.
Indeed, the goals did stop coming although the buzz around the Etihad remained with fans amazed by what they had just seen.
A defiant McClaren, who must hope his owner Mike Ashley is not one of those who gets an itchy finger during the international break, said: 'We really shook Man City in the first half.
The goal before half-time gave them a lift and we just got done by Aguero's world-class finishing.
'We showed today what our strengths are and our weaknesses. We looked a very good Premier League team in the first half. In the second half, we didn't look a good team.'
City may have to surrender top spot again on Sunday afternoon when Manchester United play at Arsenal. The two clubs are poised to have a fantastic title race reminiscent of 2011/12.
But City have Aguero and he could prove the difference.
(Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football)
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