Quote:
Carlos Tevez is the best in division, says City team-mate Nigel de Jong• 'His work rate in every game is unbelievable'
• Goal tally level with former United team-mate Rooney
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Andy Hunter
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 January 2010 00.10 GMT
Article history
Manchester City's Carlos Tevez celebrates after scoring his third goal. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images
Carlos Tevez has been labelled the finest striker in the Premier League for the form that has taken Manchester City into the top four and, according to his team-mate Nigel de Jong, disproved Manchester United's view that the Argentinian is not worth £25.5m.
Eastlands reverberated to ironic chants of "Fergie, Fergie, sign him up" on Monday night as Tevez scored his first hat-trick in City colours to maintain Roberto Mancini's 100% start as manager and lift the club into the Champions League places. The 25-year-old's performance against Blackburn Rovers took his tally to 15 goals in 21 starts since he crossed the Manchester divide last summer, when United passed their option to sign the forward on a permanent basis and Sir Alex Ferguson said the Argentinian was overpriced.
Tevez now has as many goals this season as Wayne Rooney does for United and more than Dimitar Berbatov plus Michael Owen combined.
De Jong believes a contribution that was also reflected in the player-of-the-month award for Tevez before kick-off on Monday must force Ferguson into revisionism.
"It is up to the player to show his worth on the pitch," the Dutchman said. "Some people have a different view on Carlos Tevez but if they look at him now, they will change their mind. I'm just glad he's playing for us. There are a lot of great players in the Premier League but you look at his impact the last few weeks. There is a reason he was voted player of the month for December. At this moment he is maybe the best striker in the Premier League. He has 11 goals in eight starts and that says it all; he is doing great for us."
De Jong added: "I hope he will continue that for the rest of the season. He is so important to us. He got a hat-trick against Blackburn but his work rate in every game is unbelievable and he gets his rewards in goals, but he makes other players better as well."
Despite a poor display by Sam Allardyce's team there was a confidence and momentum about City that, coupled with Tevez's form and the strength of Mancini's squad, De Jong believes augurs well for a top-four finish and possibly more.
"Right now you can see what is happening, everyone is excited," said the midfielder, who could face competition from the new signing Patrick Vieira for a place at Everton on Saturday should the Frenchman recover from a calf injury. "Of course we can stay up in the top four. You see how big the squad is, not only the first 11, but the 22 players in the squad. We have guys who were written off a couple of weeks or months ago and are now performing. We have got a big squad and players coming back from injury. So we are getting stronger and stronger.
"The title is a possibility and we have to work for it. But remember this is only season number one for us after the big spending and we have to take it step by step. The important thing for us is the Champions League place then we will see in March and April where we are standing."
oh yeah