Melbourne City drew within a point of the top six in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon, recording an A-League Men’s record win over Perth Glory at AAMI Park.
Tolgay Arslan’s first City hattrick headlined a huge 8-0 win with goals flying in left, right and centre on a day to remember.
Team News
After missing the last three games due to illness, Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar returned to the sideline and made a few big inclusions to his line-up.
Jamie Maclaren and Mathew Leckie made their returns to the starting XI, while Nuno Reis was also back in the heart of defence after missing our last game through injury.
Starting XI: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 4. Nuno REIS, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 14. Vicente FERNANDEZ, 8. Jimmy JEGGO, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 10. Tolgay ARSLAN, 44. Marin JAKOLIS, 11. Leo NATEL, 9. Jamie MACLAREN (C).
Substitutes: 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (GK), 17. Terry ANTONIS, 21. Alessandro LOPANE, 22. Curtis GOOD, 35. Zane SCHREIBER, 37. Max CAPUTO, 38. Harry POLITIDIS.
What happened?
City didn’t take long to grab the ascendancy, Leo Natel shooting just wide of the target and Jamie Maclaren hitting the post inside the first 10 minutes of action.
It was Natel who would find the opener in the 14th minute though, using his strength to beat the Glory defender on the left-hand side and drive into the box to despatch the opener.
A Glory mix-up at the back a few seconds later opened the door for Mathew Leckie to quickly win the ball back on his return to the starting XI, the Socceroo teeing up Tolgay Arslan who smashed home the second goal of the afternoon.
An own-goal made it three as the clock ticked over into the 19th minute, Leckie again involved – this time sliding in a good cross which was turned into the back of the net by Kaelan Majekodunmi.
Arslan showed his class once again less than 10 minutes later, beating Glory goalkeeper Oli Sali for the second time of the day to make it 4-0 with plenty of time to play in the first half.
Natel added to the Glory’s pain moments later, dribbling into the box and summing up his options before slamming home our fifth of the afternoon inside half an hour.
By the standards set in the first half it took City a little while to click into gear in the second half, but after seeing off a few early Glory attacks – we gained the momentum once again.
Mathew Leckie slipped a ball through for Natel on the hour mark, who in turn spotted Jamie Maclaren on the edge of the box – our striker taking a touch before curling his finish into the bottom right corner.
Arslan completed his hattrick in the 73rd-minute courtesy of some nice build-up play from Marin Jakolis and Steven Ugarkovic, tapping home from close range.
Ugarkovic would add his name to the scoresheet in the dying stages, finishing off a great shift in a new role at right-back by driving forward and sneaking into the box to slam home the eighth goal of the night.
What’s next?
We’ll be on the road next week to face Western Sydney for our final away trip of the season in a game that has huge implications in shaping the top six.
Following that, we’re back at AAMI Park for one last time this season – set to host Western United on Sunday 28 April in a doubleheader with our A-League Women’s Semi Final against Newcastle Jets. Click here to get your tickets!
