Manuel Pellegrini has re-iterated his stance on Sergio Aguero being one of the world's top footballers.

The Argentine striker returned to his sublime best with a stunning five-goal haul in Manchester City's 6-1 hammering of Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

In the wake of his sparkling performance, Pellegrini spoke of Aguero's ability that he feels has him just behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the top echelon of world football.

"After what we have seen here, of course Kun [Aguero] is at that level. I have already said that after Ronaldo and Messi he is the best player in the world," said the City boss.

"He always makes important things (contributions) in competitions.

"But the important thing is, not only for Kun, but as a team we must continue to improve, to win the Premier League again and to win the Champions League, because Messi and Ronaldo are always involved in that competition and that is very important for a player."