Premier League Hall of Fame: Sergio Aguero

One of the most successful foreign exports in English football history, Sergio Aguero became an inductee of the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022.

Sergio Aguero Profile:

Name	Sergio Aguero
Date of Birth	02/06/1988
Place of Birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position	Striker
Premier League club(s)	Manchester City
Premier League appearances	275
Premier League goals	184
Premier League assists	47
Premier League titles	5
Premier League Golden Boots	1

Instant impact

Arriving at the ultra-ambitious Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011 with a lofty reputation, it did not take long for Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero to make a big impression in England.

The Argentine made his City debut as a 59th-minute substitute in a 4-0 win for the Citizens against Swansea in the Premier League, instantly catching the eye by grabbing two goals and an assist in arguably one of the finest debuts the competition has ever seen.

It was instantly apparent that City had got their hands on a special talent indeed, a player capable of catapulting the club from challengers to serial winners.

Diminutive in stature at 5ft 8in, Aguero was blessed with peerless football gifts, with a low centre of gravity aiding sublime close control and elusive movement.

Roberto Mancini’s side made an outstanding start to the 2011/12 Premier League campaign, undefeated in their first eight matches leading up to Aguero’s first taste of a Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

What was to follow was one of the most shocking results in Premier League history, with City handing the Red Devils their biggest ever defeat – prevailing 6-1 with Aguero getting his name on the scoresheet.

This result sent shockwaves throughout the country, with City sending a statement to the rest of the division that they were ready to challenge for their first Premier League title.

So it would transpire, but not before one of the most dramatic title races of all time.

Previously trailing Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd by an eight-point deficit, City went into the final day of the Premier League season knowing a win at home to QPR would be enough to get their hands on a maiden title.

Expected to be a routine win against relegation-threatened QPR, managed by ex-City boss Mark Hughes, the Etihad clash turned into anything but.

Down 2-1 heading into injury-time and United leading Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, City stood on the brink of blowing their big chance to become champions of England.

What was to follow is stuff of Premier League folklore, with Edin Dzeko heading home a 92nd-minute equaliser for the Citizens before Aguero notched one of the most iconic winning goals in the history of the sport to hand City the title with just 100 seconds left on the clock.

Martin Tyler’s commentary in this moment has become almost equally famous as the goal itself – “Agueroooooo”.

Clinching his and City’s first Premier League title in a debut campaign which saw him hit 23 league goals, Aguero’s legendary status on the blue side of Manchester was already confirmed.
 

Goal machine

Aguero’s second season in England would see him battle through a number of injuries – a trend which would continue throughout his career – with City eventually finishing as runners-up in the Premier League as their rivals United reclaimed their crown.

The Argentine hitman would still register 12 goals in the league in the 2012/13 season, including a memorable individual effort off the bench to hand City a 2-1 derby victory over Man United, slaloming past a number of defenders before slamming home.

Aguero and Co would not have to wait too long for their second Premier League title win, however, with the Citizens winning back their title in 2013/14 under the auspices of new manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The ex-Atletico Madrid prodigy registered an impressive 27 goal contributions in 2013/14 – 17 goals and 10 assists – as City pipped Liverpool to the title by just two points after another enthralling end to a Premier League season.

After signing a bumper five-year-deal at the Etihad in August 2014, Aguero would go on to win the Premier League golden boot with 26 goals in the 2014/15 season, although City disappointingly came away trophyless with Chelsea claiming the league title under Antonio Conte.

The Argentine’s goalscoring exploits would not slow down in 2015/16, scoring an astounding five goals in a single match in a 6-1 win for City against Newcastle in October 2015, although Pellegrini’s side would struggle to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League with Leicester City securing a famous title triumph.
 

The Guardiola Years

After a disappointing campaign on the pitch for the club in 2015/16, the City hierarchy moved to replace Manuel Pellegrini with the esteemed former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola ahead of the 2016/17 season.

There were initially some doubts regarding Aguero’s suitability to Guardiola’s preferred tactical approach involving an intense pressing game off the ball, but the Argentine quickly adjusted to the Catalan’s methods.

Guardiola’s opening campaign as City boss did not go swimmingly, however, with his squad taking time to get to grips with his style of play and reinforcements clearly required in the transfer market as they finished third in the Premier League.

City entered the subsequent season – 2017/18 – a totally different beast, with Guardiola’s swashbuckling charges romping to the title with a record points total of 100, with this outstanding side dubbed the ‘Centurions’.

Aguero was a key part of this dominant team, scoring 21 league goals with lightning-fast wingers Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane regularly flanking him on either side.

There was to be no let off in 2018/19 either, as City won back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time with Aguero achieving some staggering milestones along the way – including becoming the second-fastest player behind Alan Shearer to hit 150 top flight goals in England.

Although Guardiola’s side relinquished their title to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2019/20, more individual records were broken by Aguero – who became the first Premier League player to register 12 hat-tricks after putting Aston Villa to the sword in a 6-1 victory for City.

The 2020/21 season would mark Aguero’s last in Manchester with the ageing South American beginning to become less influential in the side, and he ensured he left City in style by scoring twice off the bench in a 5-0 victory against Everton as the club claimed their fourth Premier League title in five years.

A fitting way to bow out for the Premier League great, with an incredible total of 184 goals in 275 games meaning he boasts the best minutes-per-goal ratio of all time in the competition – finding the net once every 108 minutes.
 

Style of play:

Small in size but blessed with a typical South American tigerish competitive spirit, Aguero was a bonafide natural goalscorer.

Technically gifted with the vision to spot teammates in space and the movement to evade defenders, Aguero was capable of scoring with both feet and in the air.

Although Aguero was famed for his ruthless finishing and goalscoring record, he was also adept at linking the play and setting up goals for others in the final third.

The Argentine did struggle with injury problems throughout his career, making the numbers he was still able to put up all the more impressive.
 

Life after football:

Retiring from professional football in 2021, Aguero has become a popular video game streamer on the online platform Twitch.

In November 2022, Aguero joined the newly-established Kings League in Barcelona, serving as chairman for one of the participating teams – Kunisports.
 

Did you know?

Previously married to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Argentine football great Diego, and good friends with Lionel Messi, Aguero has a son Benjamin whose grandfather is Maradona and godfather is Messi.

Aguero’s nickname ‘Kun’ was first given to him by his grandparents as a young child due to his resemblance to the character ‘Kum-Kum’ from the anime series Wanpaku Omukashi Kumu Kumu which was the City’s legend’s favourite programme growing up.

The Premier League icon has a tattoo has a tattoo on his right arm inscribed in Tengwar – a form of writing established by The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien which translates as ‘Kun Aguero’ in Latin script.

Capped 101 times by the Argentine national team, Aguero obtained Spanish citizenship in 2010 whilst an Atletico Madrid player.