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Sergio is one of the best players in the world and one of the best strikers. – Manuel Pellegrini
He’s top of the world football strikers. – Frank Lampard
Ronaldo may be on another planet, but Sergio is up there with Messi and Suarez. – Samir Nasri
He's our special player. – Vincent Kompany
Accolades poured in for Manchester City’s diminutive Argentine striker Sergio Aguero whose sensational hat-trick ensured City’s victory over Bayern Munich in stoppage time at the Etihad stadium, eventually helping them keep their Champions League dream alive. The former Atletico Madrid striker cemented his status as City’s best player in the match and, as much as it may serve as disservice for his team-mates, you cannot deny the fact that the quick-footed striker has carried his team single-handedly this season.
He rattled the net in each half and sealed the deal for City with a calm finish past the onrushing Manuel Neuer. Sprinting towards the corner flag, Aguero slid across the surface and put the City fans in an absolute frenzy; a moment comparable to that brilliant stoppage time strike which won City the EPL title back in 2012. Watching from the sidelines, Manuel Pellegrini put on a relief laden smile on his face as the pile of City players on Aguero kept increasing.
Is Aguero the best striker in world football today?
His dazzling form this season has compelled players, managers and fans to consider him in the same hemisphere as that of Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar. There is no doubt that Aguero is one of the best strikers in the world, but is he the best striker plying his trade in world football right now?
The former Atletico Madrid man has scored more goals in club competitions than Lionel Messi, Neymar and Diego Costa this season. And he has definitely had a bigger impact on his side than the aforementioned players, simply because of the impotency of his team-mates to recreate the magic they produced so often last season.
Aguero has had his fair share of injuries to deal with and that has, maybe, played an instrumental role in people forgetting the kind of capabilities he possesses. He isn’t the tallest of strikers out there, but he is muscular, purposeful, clinical, tenacious and runs with relentless pace. The way he ran the Bayern defence ragged was a perfect illustration of the mesmerising dribbling skills and agility the 26-year old possesses.
Calling him one of the best strikers in the world wouldn’t be an overstatement but calling him the best would definitely raise a few eyebrows. And these are not empty words; the stats below prove that Aguero still has quite a lot of work to do before he reaches the top of the ladder.
The data above clearly resonates the fact that Aguero is still not ‘the best’ striker in the world but, there is no denying that he is definitely up there with the best in the business. The City striker has been an absolutely menace to deal with for defenders and has often stuck like a thorn in teams’ backlines. It is indeed ironic that Aguero has dragged his team along this season in a fashion similar to that of his countryman Diego Maradona.
The manner in which Maradona won the World Cup for Argentina all on his own is uncannily similar to the manner in which Aguero has carried the Citizens this year. Although he isn’t quite in the same bracket as that of Ronaldo or Messi in terms of statictics, the impact he has on proceedings is exactly similar to the kind of influence the Portuguese and the Argentine stars have on Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
However, Aguero’s case to become the best in the world is boosted by the fact that he has time on his side. Just at the beginning of his prime, the 26-year-old still has a lot of football left in him, compared to Ronaldo who may begin to fade in the next three or four seasons. And, there is also a strong possibility that four years from now, we could be debating whether there is any other player who can ever reach the heights that Aguero has already managed to scale.
