Guardiola hails Aguero, but does he have a Man City future?
City cruise past Huddersfield, but free-scoring Argentine striker has yet to be told he is wanted at the Etihad next season
Manchester City progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup yesterday with an emphatic victory over Huddersfield. The match saw Sergio Aguero deliver the kind of performance his exacting manager Pep Guardiola has been demanding.
City fell behind early on but roared back into the tie to win 5-1, with Aguero scoring twice and setting up another for Pablo Zabaleta. Leroy Sane and Kelechi Iheanacho also got on the scoresheet.
It was a display that had Guardiola purring. "It is the best performance I have ever seen from Sergio," he said, praising the striker's work rate and ability to create chances.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It appeared that Aguero could be deemed surplus to requirements following the arrival of Gabriel Jesus. But the Brazilian teenager's metatarsal injury has "blown open a door that seemed in danger of closing on the Argentine and he has been reinvigorated since coming back into the fold", says James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph.
The City striker now has 158 goals in 238 games, notes Henry Winter of The Times, and what's more "the 28-year-old is undeniably developing into an even greater, all-round threat under Guardiola."
Following the injury to Jesus, Aguero "took his chance to show Guardiola that he could learn new tricks as Monaco found to their cost last week, and Huddersfield Town last night", he says.
But the morning after the night before it emerged that Aguero was still waiting to be personally informed that he remains part of Guardiola's plans.
"My intention is to stay but it is a long way away," he said. "I have three months to give my best and as I always said, in June it will be seen. One thing is that the club officially says it [they want me] and another thing is to tell me."
That raises the prospect of "showdown talks" in the summer, says The Guardian, with the Argentine striker's future far from certain.
But Guardiola would do well to learn from his problems in the goalkeeping department, says Ducker of the Telegraph.
"Aguero may have to produce a few more nights like this before the questions about his future at Manchester City begin to dissipate, but Claudio Bravo's problems at the opposite end of the pitch should tell Pep Guardiola all he needs to know about the perils of jettisoning big players prematurely," he says.
The goalkeeper was at fault for Huddersfield's opener and looked far from happy. He "simply provided another reminder on Wednesday night of how badly Guardiola erred last summer by ousting Joe Hart in favour of signing the Chile goalkeeper from Barcelona".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
India elections start amid violence, hate speech accusations
Talking Points Narendra Modi seeks a third term while critics worry about the future of the country's democracy
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?
feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Man City’s financial charges: what next for the Premier League champions?
feature The club is alleged to have breached financial rules around 100 times over a nine-year period
By Mike Starling Published
-
Erling Haaland: does Manchester City have the ‘best player in the world’?
Talking Point The young Norwegian striker has already scored 14 goals in eight games
By The Week Staff Published
-
Erling Haaland: Man City’s ‘goalscoring monster’ is ‘spooking’ Premier League rivals
Why Everyone’s Talking About Norwegian striker netted his first City hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Palace
By Mike Starling Published