Monday 6 March 2017 14:10, UK
Sergio Aguero scored again in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Sunderland on Sunday, but it's not just his goals that are satisfying Pep Guardiola. The stats show how he is adapting his game to his manager's demands…
With a near-post run and a first-time finish, Sergio Aguero scored his fifth goal in three games in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Sunderland. "It was classic centre-forward play," said Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness. The kind of instinctive strike the Argentine has become known for.
But while the sight of Aguero celebrating is nothing new, there are other areas of his game which appear to be evolving. Pep Guardiola shocked everyone when he dropped the man with nearly twice as many Premier League goals as any other City player in favour of new signing Gabriel Jesus last month, but his reasons were clear.
For his high-pressing tactics, Guardiola required a striker who could provide off-the-ball intensity as well as goals. Aguero admitted as much himself. "What he wants, above everything, from all the players is that we push a little more," he said. "He's always asking me for more, more, more."
Until his injury against Bournemouth last month, Jesus was the man to provide it. Premier League tracking data showed he covered an average of 11.3km and sprinted 73 times per 90 minutes in his first three Premier League appearances. Aguero, at that point, was covering 9.8km and sprinting 59 times per 90 minutes.
It was a stark contrast and it threw Aguero's future into doubt. Guardiola praised Jesus for his desire, intensity and movement after he starred in City's 4-0 win over West Ham last month. Soon enough he was talking about the Brazilian as the future of the club.
Aguero, though, has risen to the challenge since coming back into the team last month. He took the headlines for his goals in City's 5-3 victory against Monaco in the Champions League, but the increase in his defensive work-rate was also significant. In fact, he made more tackles against Leonardo Jardim's side (four) than in any game since 2014/15. He also won possession more times (eight) than any of his team-mates.
His impressive form continued with two more goals in City's FA Cup replay against Huddersfield on Wednesday, with Guardiola lavishing praise on the 28-year-old for another all-action display. "It's the best performance I've ever seen from Sergio," he said. "When he plays at that level, he's unstoppable. We are so happy with how he played today."
Aguero delivered again against Sunderland. He was a threat from start to finish at the Stadium of Light, with his opening goal taking him to 23 from 31 games in all competitions and keeping him on track for the most prolific season of his City career. He would have added to his total if it wasn't for Jordan Pickford's sharp reflexes.
His work-rate, however, was arguably even more impressive. According to the Premier League tracking data, Aguero hit his highest totals for both sprints (81) and distance covered (10.5km) in a single Premier League game all season. "He helped us a lot in our game," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "It was brilliant, really brilliant."
As Souness noted, Guardiola seems to be getting message across. "It looks like Pep is a real communicator," he said. "I'm sure he's sat Aguero down and said 'this is where you can improve.' It doesn't matter what age you are, you can always improve. One of those areas, and we've witnessed it today, would be him sprinting to people and putting them under pressure."
It bodes well for Aguero and for City. "It's not too late for him to learn and play the way Guardiola wants," said Souness. "Because he is such a special player, you'd try to keep a hold of him and try to change him. You wouldn't want to sell him full stop. It's the hardest position to fill. Players who score are the hardest to find, and he gets the big goals."
Aguero's next challenge is to offer more of the same when City host Stoke on Wednesday night, but the future already looks brighter than it did just a few weeks ago. Guardiola can plot City's course knowing their leading Premier League goalscorer is on board.
Watch Manchester City v Stoke live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm on Wednesday
