Remembered for one goal, but Aguero's consistency separates him from the rest

Sergio Aguero will always be synonymous with one of the most famous goals in Premier League history - but it's the consistency of his goalscoring over the years that separates the Manchester City striker from the rest.

>>Reuters
Published : 30 March 2021, 03:02 PM
Updated : 30 March 2021, 03:02 PM

Aguero has spearheaded his side's most successful era from the minute he walked in the door. On debut, coming off the bench for 30 minutes against Swansea City in August 2011, Aguero scored twice and provided an assist for David Silva as City ran out 4-0 winners.

That made him one of only three players in Premier League history to score more than once on their first appearance as a substitute, with the other two both achieving the feat on the very first week of the Premier League era back in 1992.

Aguero went on to score 23 goals in 2011-12, with only Robin van Persie (30) and Wayne Rooney (27) scoring more that season.

But one strike in particular stood out - Aguero's 94th-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers that earned City their first top-flight title in 44 years will definitely stand the test of time.

Remarkably, for a man who has scored 181 Premier League goals to date - the most of any foreign player in English top-flight history - that iconic moment remains Aguero's only stoppage-time winner in the competition.

THE KING OF CONSISTENCY

To add to his 23-goal season in 2011-12, Aguero netted 20 or more goals in five consecutive campaigns between 2014-15 and 2018-19, becoming only the second player to do so after Thierry Henry between 2001-02 and 2005-06.

The only player with more 20-plus goal Premier League seasons than Aguero is all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer.

What's more, Aguero has comfortably the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the League's history, netting every 108 minutes. Among all players with at least 10 goals, this is 14 minutes better than anyone else.

Aguero is in fact only two goals behind the record for Premier League goals scored at one club, with Rooney scoring 183 for Manchester United.

The 32-year-old's City story could still have a final twist.

While injuries have hampered what will be his final campaign, Aguero is fit again - timely given Pep Guardiola's side are in fine form as they enter the quarter-final stages in their pursuit of a first-ever European Cup triumph.

Aguero is City's all-time leading scorer in that competition with 36 goals, 15 more than anyone else, and joint-leading scorer for an English club in the competition, matching Didier Drogba's 36 goals for Chelsea.

The only question now is whether Aguero's goals can inspire City to uncharted Champions League success and depart with a near-perfect legacy.