Manchester City: Sergio Aguero's time at the club is coming to an end

Sergio Aguero is one of Manchester City’s greatest ever players, and still one of the best strikers around. But the Argentine’s role at the Etihad Stadium is now dwindling.

Sergio Aguero has not had a smooth ride at Manchester City since Pep Guardiola arrived at the club. The striker has been surprisingly dropped to the bench on a few occasions. The latest coming on Wednesday when a Gabriel Jesus-led City attack hammered West Ham 5-0.

The news of Aguero being on the bench came as a shock to some. Many presumed a player of Sergio Aguero’s quality in the hands of a coach like Guardiola would be a match made in heaven. That Aguero would only get even better now.

But the truth is that Aguero just isn’t Guardiola’s type of striker. Aguero doesn’t fit the style of play that the Spaniard demands. This is nothing revolutionary – it’s been a topic bubbling beneath the surface for much of this season. But it might finally be about to boil over.

Aguero is a majestic individual player. A striker who can score for fun on his day and often doesn’t even need chances served up on a plate. Just give the ball to Aguero and let him go. Sit back and watch.

But that is not the way Guardiola wants his team to play. He wants them to play in unison and do everything together. No individuals. What are the hallmarks of a Guardiola team? Pressing and passing. You press together and you pass and share the ball with each other. Aguero does neither.

Can he pass? Of course. As long as it’s basic. But does he? Only when he can’t get a shot off or find a blind alley to run down and try to get to the end of. What Guardiola wants is for his striker to be adept in all facets of the game, not just goalscoring.

He wants assists, intense pressing, good link-up play, runs into the channel, as well as unselfish runs to open space for others. The only time Aguero makes a run is to get the ball himself and try to score. Aguero has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season. He has zero assists. None.

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Gabriel Jesus has come in and notched a goal and an assist in just one Premier League game. Outside of league play, Aguero has one assist in the Champions League. Jesus matched that tally on his debut against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

Already the Brazilian looks like a real talent, but there is still a long way to go for the 19-year-old. The reason why Aguero is going to struggle to dislodge Jesus, though, is not because he is better than Aguero right now. It’s because he does all the things that Guardiola wants him to do.

He runs tirelessly, he flusters the opposition with his aggressive pressing, he drops deep to link up, he’s unselfish, he’s a team player and he lays on assists. Oh, and he scores goals too. The only part Aguero matches or beats Jesus is actually on goals.

But Guardiola wants the total package and he now, seemingly, might just have that with his Brazilian recruit. Unfortunately, Aguero is just too old to change now. And he has already had the first half of the season to show that he can adapt to Guardiola’s philosophy. He hasn’t done that.

Next: Fragile Arsenal team is Arsene Wenger's creation

In the end, Sergio Aguero does things Sergio Aguero’s way. And there is nothing wrong with that whatsoever. In fact, it’s absolutely magical when Aguero is at his best. It just doesn’t match Pep Guardiola’s way.

And that’s why, under Guardiola, his time at Manchester City is running out.

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Manchester City: Sergio Aguero’s time at the club is coming to an end

By Craig Pearson | Feb 2, 2017

Sergio Aguero is one of Manchester City’s greatest ever players, and still one of the best strikers around. But the Argentine’s role at the Etihad Stadium is now dwindling.

More from The Top Flight