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Aguero still Man City’s go-to goal getter (PREVIEW)
LIVERPOOL, Feb 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Much has changed at Manchester City in
the three seasons since Pep Guardiola took charge tasked with turning the
wealth of the club’s Abu Dhabi backers into domination of English football.
However, if Guardiola’s men are to reel in Liverpool to become the first
side in a decade to retain the Premier League, Sergio Aguero is likely to be
the primary source of goals just as the Argentine has been for the past seven
seasons.
Aguero was a City legend from the moment he won the club’s first title in
44 years with virtually the last kick of the campaign in his debut season.
But the 30-year-old is now staking a claim to be regarded as one of the
Premier League’s greatest ever imports, particularly if he spearheads a
fourth title triumph in eight years in England.
Already firmly established as City’s all-time leading scorer, Aguero’s hat-
trick in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Arsenal was his 14th for the club, his 10th in
the league – just one short of Alan Shearer’s all-time record.
It also took his Premier League tally to 157, eighth on the all-time list
and just 18 goals behind the only overseas player on that list, Thierry Henry
who stands in fifth.
The bare numbers underestimate Aguero’s knack of scoring when it really
matters.
In 63 appearances against the big six rivals in the Premier League, the
former Atletico Madrid striker has scored 40 goals, 19 more than any other
player in the same period – Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
Such a record would appear to make Aguero untouchable. Yet, that was very
much not the case in the early days of Guardiola’s reign when the Catalan
preferred the youthful energy of Gabriel Jesus as he demanded much more than
just goals from his strikers.
Even at the latter stage of his career, rather than revolt, Aguero adapted
and won over Guardiola during City’s romp to the title with 100 points last
season.
“I know my players when I work with them in the good moments, bad moments,
how they react,” said Guardiola after Aguero’s latest goal glut against
Arsenal.
“When people in the first year said I’m not friends with Sergio, sometimes
I played Gabriel or Raz (Raheem Sterling) as a striker, they were my
decisions but I was always delighted (with Aguero).
“Today, it wasn’t just that he scored three goals but for how he tried,
fought, and worked backwards. He gave absolutely everything for the team.
“Of course he doesn’t have the energy of Gabriel or Bernardo (Silva) but
every player has his own quality.”
Even this season Aguero has played nearly 600 fewer minutes in the Premier
League than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — who leads the race for the golden
boot.
However, as City continue a huge week in their title challenge at Everton
on Wednesday, that early season rest could be key to the champions retaining
the trophy that matters if Aguero is the fresher of the two for the title run
in.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1704 hrs