From Foes to Friends? The Aguero and Jesus Story

When City announced the signing of young Brazilian Gabriel Jesus in the summer of 2016 the last thing that crossed the minds of the Etihad faithful is that this could be the beginning of the end for Sergio Aguero.

But alas, once Jesus finally arrived in Manchester on January 1st it seemed as though Aguero might be being forced out by City boss Pep Guardiola.

Jesus began his City career with a bang and seemed to have formed a frighteningly fluid partnership upfront with fellow youngsters Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane. This was great news for City fans, and Guardiola, but not so much for Aguero who for parts of January struck a forlorn figure whilst taking his place on the substitute’s bench.

Unfortunately for City, Jesus suffered a broken foot whist challenging for a ball against Bournemouth on February 13th. This injury seemingly offered Aguero another chance to impress Guardiola; one he took in typical style with the Argentine marksman ending the season with 33 goals in 45 games.

Once Jesus returned from injury at the back end of the season Guardiola tried to shoehorn both players into his starting 11, but this never really seemed to work for City. That was until his side’s 5-0 demolition of Watford at Vicarage Road on the final day of the season.

That single performance against Watford seemed to signal that the pair could play together and that they could both be incorporated in City’s starting 11 long term. 

Questions at the Start of the Season

Despite the pair ‘clicking’ at the back end of the 16/17 season, City’s rigid start to the following campaign saw many more questions raised about whether having the two forwards on the pitch at the same time was conducive to the way City wanted to play.

After Aguero was left on the bench in City’s dramatic win against Bournemouth back in August doubts began to re-emerge about his long-term future at the club. 

The Turning Point

The late goal for City against Bournemouth, scored by Raheem Sterling, seemed to really kick-start not only City’s season but also the partnership between Aguero and Jesus.

In the following game against Liverpool the relationship that has been built between the two was evident; no more so than when Aguero (who is now just 3 goals shy of City’s all time scoring record) squared the ball to Jesus for a tap in despite the fact he could’ve gone for goal himself.

Including that Liverpool game City have hit 14 goals in their last 3 games without reply and the striking duo have been a huge part of that.

The Statistics

Although the majority of the media will lead you to believe that Aguero is, or was, put out by the arrival of Jesus the statistics speak for themselves.

The pair has started 8 games together with Aguero scoring 8 goals in that period and Jesus contributing 7 himself. The pair have also racked up 5 assists between them during those 8 games.

The Fight for the Golden Boot

It’s rare for a team in the Premier League to play with two genuine goal scorers in this day and age, but on recent evince it seems as though City are going to do just that this season. 

Both Aguero and Jesus are natural goal scorers, and with two players of that ilk in the side the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva are going to have to create a lot of chances to keep the both of them happy.

It remains to be seen who is going to come out on top of the City scoring charts this season, but what is for sure is that both strikers are going to absolutely fill their boots.

Aguero is currently 4/1 to finish top scorer in the premier league, whilst Jesus is 7/1 to pip his strike partner to the Golden Boot.