It is well and truly the end of an era at the Etihad as Manchester City confirmed that Sergio Aguero will be departing the club in the summer. Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Aguero have been the leaders of the City dressing room for a long time. All three of them will not be present when next season starts, leaving an ever-lasting legacy in Manchester.
In his nine seasons at the club, Aguero produced many moments of magic that are unforgettable for any fan of football. In this article, we will look at five such moments which defined the diminutive Argentinian forward.
#5 All time top scorer for Manchester City
In the 2017-18 Champions League, City were up against Napoli and Aguero needed a goal to become the most prolific player in Manchester City history. The match was a tight contest until the 69th minute with scoreline level at 2-2.
A City counter-attack led by Leroy Sane resulted in Aguero getting some space to shoot and he finished in typical fashion. He went past Eric Brook’s tally with that goal and it was his 178th in a City shirt.
#4 50th goal against United
Even before this game, Aguero had become a fan favourite at Etihad due to his exploits in front of the goal. Manchester City faced Moyes’ United at Etihad and the result was a crushing 4-1 victory for the home team.
Aguero opened the scoring for the hosts with a well-controlled volley from close range. Another goal from Yaya Toure gave a 2-0 lead for Manchester City. At the start of the second half, Aguero struck again and effectively sealed the game.
#3 Five goals vs Newcastle United
Aguero broke several records in the 2015-16 fixture against Newcastle with five goals in 20 minutes. His first goal was a regulation header at the near post orchestrated by a neat aerial ball from Silva. The second was a deflected one as Aguero cut in and shot with his weaker left foot. He completed the hat-trick with a sublime flick from just inside the box. A beautiful curler from outside the box brought up his fourth of the game. The last one was a simple finish after a superb pass from Kevin de Bruyne.
#2 Hat-trick against Bayern Munich
In 2014-15 Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich was regarded as a favourite for the title and they faced reigning PL champions Manchester City in Matchday five. After a red card for Munich’s Benatia, Aguero scored a penalty to put Manchester City ahead.
A brilliant freekick from Alonso and a terrific header from Lewandowski put Bayern ahead at the break. The Bavarians lead until the 85th minute when a blind pass from Alonso led to a simple finish from Aguero. He scored the winner in the extra time with a composed finish amidst a lot of pressure.
#1 Winner vs Queens Park Rangers
The last matchday of the 2011-12 season still lives fresh in the memory of everyone who followed it live. United had come from behind to win the game while Queens Park Rangers hit back to level the game against City. Until the very last minute of the game, everyone thought that United had won the title by goal difference.
Aguero gathered the ball during the last seconds of the game and passed it to Ballotelli. He set off immediately, received the ball back and scored a memorable goal from a very tight angle to seal the title for City. Very few moments in PL can match the amount of drama and emotion of this goal and it will be re-watched again and again for generations to come.
