Why does Man City star Aguero not get the credit he deserves?

Manchester City

Sergio Aguero’s goalscoring record at Man City is nothing short of phenomenal, averaging a goal every 1.45 games during his time in England.

Sitting fourth in the Premier League goalscoring charts, the 31-year-old is way ahead of other current top flight players yet, outside of Man City fans, Aguero doesn’t seem to be fully appreciated.

The Argentinian star arrived in England in 2011, having built a big reputation at Atletico Madrid, and nine years later he is still in the Premier League, still with City and still scoring goals. His goal tally currently reads 180 goals in 261 appearances in all competitions.

During that nine-year stint in the North West, he’s won 10 domestic trophies – including four league titles – and is a seven-time Premier League Player of the Month winner.

You also need to scrutinise his season-by-season goalscoring record for it to be believed, as only once in nine campaigns has he failed to score more than 15 league goals, in what most believe is the toughest league in the world to play in.

In six of his nine seasons at City, the former Independiente man has scored 20+ goals and he has achieved that feat in five campaigns in a row – between 14/15 and 18/19. With 10 matches to go this term, he could continue that run having already bagged 16 up to this point.

Those stats alone highlight just how good he has been, but compare him to other top-class Premier League strikers and they look even better.

Aguero reached 100 Premier League goals after just 147 games, bettered only by Harry Kane (141) and the Premier League’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer (124).

No overseas goalscorer has scored more than Aguero in the English top flight and that includes the likes of Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Robin Van Persie. It also took him just six years to beat City’s club goalscoring record – set in 1940 by Eric Brook, who took 12 years to score 177 goals.

Also consider, the Argentinian international is just seven goals adrift of third-placed Andy Cole in the Premier League charts, while another 28 strikes would take him level with Wayne Rooney, who is second only to Shearer.

Given all that information, it’s incredible to think that Aguero has never won either the PFA Player of the Year or Football Writers Player of the Year award!

Also unbelievably, he’s only twice appeared in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, especially given his own personal success and that of his team.

The well-used phrase when it comes to Aguero is that he is ‘just a goalscorer’, which in itself is a bit unfair. But even if that was the case, his job is to score goals and he is one of the best of all-time at doing that.

Even his current manager, Pep Guardiola, rarely speaks in glowing terms of Aguero – even though he admits what a difference he makes to the City team.

The Blues’ boss recently said his toughest task will be to replace Aguero when he finally leaves the Etihad, but he had previously, perhaps unfairly, compared him to Lionel Messi.

When breaking the record for the most hat-tricks scored in the Premier League (12) back in January, Guardiola was asked by a journalist….”Is Aguero the best striker you’ve coached?”

The City manager said: “The best is Messi.” To which the journalist responded with: “The best nine?”

Guardiola again shot down the question, stating: “Messi is [the best] nine, ten, eleven, seven, six, five, four. But Sergio, of the rest, is absolutely one of them.”

So its fair to say Aguero isn’t recognised as much as he should be and maybe he won’t until he calls time on his playing career, but that seems some way off yet.

Should he stay at City for another couple of seasons, then surely more trophies and records will come his way….and hopefully more credit.

Pep Guardiola Harry Kane Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero alan shearer

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