Could Raheem Sterling surpass Sergio Aguero at City?

Time Stamp: February 20, 2022 3:00 AM

The three goals scored by Raheem Sterling in Manchester City’s 4-0 win over lifted him above Carlos Tevez for the number of hat tricks scored for the club in the Premier League era. Indeed, only Sergio Aguero has netted more trebles for City than the England international who has grown into a seasoned goalscorer over the years.

Signed as a mercurial winger from Liverpool, Sterling has become a different sort of player under Pep Guardiola. While the 27-year-old has allowed his numbers to drop since scoring a personal best of 20 goals in a single Premier League campaign two seasons ago, he is now the most natural finisher at the Etihad Stadium.

Aguero’s presence is still felt at Manchester City. He is still talked about as the club’s greatest ever striker with Guardiola still looking for the right centre forward to replace the Argentine. Harry Kane was pursued over the summer only for Tottenham Hotspur to hold firm. Erling Haaland has also bee strongly linked with a move to the Premier League champions while youngster Julian Alvarez was signed from River Plate in January

Until City find their next great number nine, they need Sterling. After a difficult 2020/21 campaign, the 27-year-old is once again seen as a key figure by Guardiola, scoring 10 goals in 21 Premier League appearances this season. Sterling has also scored twice in six Champions League appearances for good measure.

Most effective off the left side, the fluidity of the Manchester City frontline suits Sterling. He might be a wide man, but the England international isn’t a winger in the traditional sense. Sterling has added the instincts of a true goalscorer to his game since joining City nearly seven years ago, taking up central positions to get on the end of crosses and through balls.

Three goals against Norwich City took Sterling on to 108 Premier League goals in his career. This is still some way short of the tally set by Aguero (184 goals) during his time in the English top flight, but Sterling still has plenty left in the tank. If he continues scoring at his current rate (15 league goals a season), Sterling stands a good chance of surpassing Aguero as Manchester City’s all-time top Premier League scorer.

It wasn’t so long ago that Sterling’s future at the Etihad Stadium looked to be up in the air. The player openly discussed his desire to test himself abroad with Sterling’s current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023. At this point, it appeared most likely that the 27-year-old would be on his way out of Manchester City at the end of the season.

Now, though, reports claim City and Sterling are more likely to extend their relationship. “Nobody doubts how important it is,” Guardiola said after the 4-0 win over Norwich. “What I want is [day after day] to play good. Not just him, but all the players. If we count the amount of games he has played since we are together, it is a lot. He is a key player. About the future, I don’t know what is going to happen. The club decides. I give my opinion but of course the club takes the decision all the time.”

City have won three of the last four Premier League titles and are well on course to make it four titles in five seasons. Sterling’s role in Guardiola’s team has been widely debated and discussed, but it has become clear just how reliant Manchester City are on him. Numbers don’t tell the full story, but the symbolism of the closing gap between Aguero and Sterling says something about the latter’s growing legacy.

The post Could Raheem Sterling surpass Sergio Aguero at City? appeared first on Colossus Blog.

Time Stamp:

More from Colossus