Does Sergio Aguero get the credit he deserves?

On Wednesday night, Manchester City defeated Serie A leaders 4-2 in the Champions League. It was a special night for Citizens striker Sergio Aguero, who became the clubs all-time top goalscorer after notching his 178^th goal at the San Paolo.

There is no question that the diminutive striker is a top finisher. However, does he get the credit he deserves?

Prolific scorer of goals

Sergio Aguero is no doubt one of the most prolific strikers in world football. He did not have to break the City record to prove that.

For five of the last six Premier League seasons, Aguero has scored 17 goals or more goals. He has never failed to score under 17 goals in all competitions for the Citizens.

The 29-year-old has already scored eight goals in ten appearances this season, so he is well on his way to another goalscoring season. Even in his days as a youngster at Atletico Madrid, he managed goal totals of 27, 21 and 19 in his final three seasons with the club.

In short, Aguero is lethal in front of goals. He is the sort of striker that almost guarantees you goals. Going a few games without a goal is a crisis for the star, as he is that regular at finding the net.

Guardiola getting the best out of Aguero

Aguero has become that prolific that people almost take his goals for granted. He is often overlooked for praise, as it is just what we expected from the Argentinian international.

However, City boss Pep Guardiola praised Aguero after the win over Napoli, saying in his post-match press conference: “When one guy has achieved all he has achieved then its big congratulations go to him, his team-mates he has played with and managers,”

“It’s a big record for him. He is a legend for the club and their history. He has to enjoy it and everybody has to be proud of that.”

It is nice to see Guardiola praise Aguero. The City boss is adept at dishing out the right amount of praise to his players, without them becoming complacent.

The Catalan-boss has helped Aguero become an even better player this season. It looked like the striker could leave Manchester this summer. The consensus was that Aguero was ‘not a Guardiola player’.

That meant he did not contribute much more than his goals to the team. Guardiola likes his teams to defend from the front. Aguero has bought into that now and is reaping the rewards.

Not only is he scoring goals, he is also producing assists for his teammates. Already this season the striker has produced three assists in the Premier League, which is more than his whole total from last season.

A contender for the Premier League golden boot

Aguero has seemingly always been there or thereabouts for the Premier League Golden Boot in recent seasons. However, injuries have not always helped his cause. The striker seems to have had at least one injury a season in recent campaigns.

Recently the striker suffered broken ribs in a car crash, which thankfully for City did not rule him out of action for long. One only factor that could hinder his challenge for the Golden Boot this season is Guardiola’s rotation policy.

The other main contenders Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku are likely to start every game for their clubs. However, Aguero may miss games through rotation.

The striker’s odds of 5/1 to win the Golden Boot are not terrible, though. Guardiola has not rotated his squad as much as in previous seasons, so he may just be a decent bet to win the individual accolade.

For me, in terms of sheer finishing, there are very few players in world football that can match Sergio Aguero. On his day, he is a defender’s worst nightmare.

Some observers may take him for granted. However, the striker deserves massive praise for what he has achieved at Manchester City. Not only has he scored goals for the Citizens, but also he has played a major part in the club moving to the next level, which is priceless. Well done Sergio!

Does Sergio Aguero get the credit he deserves?