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London - Manuel Pellegrini said it was "strange" Sergio Aguero has never been player of the year in England after the Manchester City star's hat-trick secured a 3-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday.
Despite being one of the Premier League's most consistent goalscorers in recent seasons, Aguero has yet to win either the Football Writers' player of the year award or the equivalent honour from his peers in England's Professional Footballers' Association.
Aguero failed to make this week's shortlist for the 2016 PFA award.
It didn't seem to bother him as counter-attacking strikes either side of half-time, plus a penalty 10 minutes from the finish at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea goalkeeper Thibault Courtois was sent off for a foul on Fernandinho, took the Argentina striker's tally to 21 league goals so far this season.
"It's very strange that Sergio has played so many years here and has never been the best Premier League player here," said Pellegrini after a win that saw City stay four points clear of local rivals Manchester United in the race for a place in next season's Champions League.
"I think here, in the Premier League, we have very good players but without doubt Sergio is one of the best and so important," he added
Kevin de Bruyne was central to all of City's best moves, setting up the first goal in what was his first league appearance at Stamford Bridge since Chelsea sold him to Wolfsburg in January 2014.
But rather than de Bruyne, who scored in the midweek Champions League quarter-final win over Paris St Germain wanting revenge, Pellegrini said City were keen to atone for their 5-1 FA Cup defeat by Chelsea in February when he effectively fielded a youth team.
"He (de Bruyne) played very well, but when you have all your best players playing together, the team's performance is better... We wanted revenge for the FA Cup, losing 5-1 here.
"He left Chelsea because he wanted to play in Germany, but seeing him play like that shows why we got him here."
