London, April 17 (IANS): After Sergio Aguero fired a hat-trick against Chelsea, Manchester City head coach Manuel Pellegrini has hailed the Argentine international as the best striker in the English Premier League (EPL).

Aguero’s ruthlessness in front of goal secured City's emphatic 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as they continued to push for a Champions League spot.

Augero now has 26 goals this football season, further proof he is one of Europe’s leading frontmen.

“Sergio makes the difference when he’s playing every game, every week. He is a very important player,” Pellegrini told the club's website, mcfc.com after the match.

“I am sure he is the best striker in this league.”

The Chilean coach hailed the team’s all-round display in what he labelled a key match in City’s race to secure a top-four finish.

"I'm very satisfied. The team played very well in attack and defence,” he said.

"We knew before the game it would be difficult here but we also wanted revenge for the FA Cup game that we had to play a young team, and they beat us.

"It was a complete game and a very important three points in the Premier League because we want to finish as near to the top of the table as we can."

City face Newcastle and Stoke before welcoming Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg to the Etihad Stadium, and Pellegrini has challenged his side to continue building momentum before the pivotal tie.

“The best way to arrive at a semi-final is when you are winning games, and to not only win but to win the way we did here because it was a complete performance with and without the ball," the outgoing coach said.

“The most important thing is to keep focusing on the league as we need to play for six more Premier League points before the semi-final.”