MX23RW : Thursday, April 8 00:59:48| >> :120:24273:24273:

A closer look at Sergio Aguero's glittering Man City career

A closer look at Sergio Aguero's glittering Man City career
© Reuters
The club's record goalscorer will leave this summer having written his name into folklore with the winner against QPR in 2012.

Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City as their greatest goalscorer and the scorer of their greatest goal.

With a club-record 257 goals to his name and 10 major trophies secured since his £38million signing from Atletico Madrid in 2011, City have certainly got their money's worth.

Many could argue the prolific Argentinian actually repaid his fee several times over in the act of scoring just one of those goals, however.

That came in 2012, when Aguero struck not only the most famous goal of his glittering career, but arguably the greatest in Premier League history.

In the most sensational finish the competition has known, Aguero etched his name firmly into City folklore as he struck the goal that clinched the title with virtually the last kick of the season.

City had been trailing 2-1 to QPR heading into injury time of their final game of the campaign, apparently handing the crown to arch-rivals Manchester United.

Yet they turned it around in dramatic fashion, first with an equaliser from Edin Dzeko and then Aguero's remarkable late, late intervention.

Taking a return pass from a prone Mario Balotelli, Aguero burst into the area, skipped round a defender and smashed the ball past Paddy Kenny. The clock read 93:20 as Aguero wheeled away whirling his shirt around his head as pandemonium broke out on the touchline and in the stands.

City had snatched the trophy on goal difference at the death, capping an extraordinary title race which had already seen plenty of twists and turns in a manner that was scarcely believable.

Aguero's title-clinching strike against QPR in 2012 will live long in the memory
Aguero's title-clinching strike against QPR in 2012 will live long in the memory (Dave Thompson/PA)

It was the club's first title in 44 years and pipping United at the post made it all the sweeter.

So, whenever Aguero returns to Manchester in the future it will be this goal, above all, that people will want to talk to him about.

Yet while it may begin many a conversation, it is unlikely to end them for there is so much about Aguero's brilliant City career to discuss.

The Argentinian has regularly won trophies with City
The Argentinian has regularly won trophies with City (Nick Potts/PA)

He arrived with a bang with two goals – one of them spectacular – against Swansea on debut and he scored with great regularity thereafter. There have been stunners and tap-ins, volleys and headers. There have been 16 hat-tricks, including a sensational five-star display against Newcastle, two trebles against Chelsea and a memorable three-goal hit against Bayern Munich.

There have been plenty of milestones along the way, most notably when he scored against Napoli in 2017 to overtake 1930s star Eric Brook as City's all-time leading goalscorer with 178. He went on to become the first City player to pass 200 the following year. In Premier League terms, he is the competition's leading overseas goalscorer with 181 – a figure that puts him fourth overall behind Alan Shearer (260), Wayne Rooney (208) and Andy Cole (187).

There have been challenges too, the biggest being after the arrival of Pep Guardiola as manager in 2016. After thriving as an out-and-out striker under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, Aguero initially seemed an uneasy fit for the Spaniard's more demanding style in which pressing opponents and playing a bigger hand in build-up was more important.

Speculation over his future ramped up after the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, a forward seemingly more in tune with Guardiola's thinking, but he responded by improving his all-round game and once again becoming indispensable.

If there has been a flaw it has been a surprisingly indifferent record from the penalty spot. Injuries have also frustrated him too – muscular problems in the early years which prompted a change of diet and lifestyle, and knee trouble in more recent times – but these are mere footnotes in a great career.

He will leave City having posted statistics that may not be beaten for many years – and scored a goal that for many never will be.

ID:441106:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect10825:

Sergio Aguero future - Click here for more stories

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Sergio Aguero in action for Manchester City on March 10, 2021
Read Next:
City players expecting Aguero, Fernandinho to leave?
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City31235366214574
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd30179458332560
3Leicester CityLeicester30175853341956
4West Ham UnitedWest Ham30157848371152
5Chelsea30149746301651
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs30147951321949
7Liverpool30147951361549
8Everton29145104138347
9Aston Villa291351142311144
10Arsenal30126124035542
11Leeds UnitedLeeds30133144748-142
12Crystal Palace30108123248-1638
13Southampton30106143953-1436
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves3098133041-1135
15Burnley3089132440-1633
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton30711123338-532
17Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3078153050-2029
18Fulham31511152441-1726
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom3049172559-3421
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3042241752-3514

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!