Manchester City may not have enjoyed the campaign that was promised, but once again, Erling Haaland has delivered at the top end of the pitch, with the Norwegian machine surging his way up the club’s all-time rankings.
In just 137 games for Pep Guardiola’s side, the 24-year-old has already plundered 119 goals, with his recent long-term contract extension having been more than warranted following his stellar form since arriving in 2022.
In truth, the former Borussia Dortmund man’s prolific quality has almost been taken for granted, having taken no time at all to bed into life in Premier League football.
Take Darwin Nunez, by contrast, Liverpool’s club-record signing from that same summer of 2022. The Uruguayan – who cost a fee of around £85m – has played one game less than Haaland in all competitions since moving to Merseyside, albeit while scoring just 40 goals – 79 fewer than the City man.
The numbers simply don’t lie when it comes to Guardiola’s main man, with the aim now for Haaland to try and close the gap on the player who leads the way for the Citizens, Sergio Aguero.
Sergio Aguero's Man City record
Will Haaland stick around long enough to catch the Argentine? That remains to be seen, although, on his current trajectory, the latest Etihad talisman should certainly fancy his chances of reaching his predecessor’s tally.
260 goals across all fronts is what Aguero ended up with, prior to his free transfer exit back in 2021, with the now-retired marksman having been the centrepiece of the early success in the Sheikh Mansour era.
Signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011, the diminutive striker’s quality was evident from his first outing in a City shirt against Swansea City, the £38m addition scoring twice off the bench to kickstart what would prove a stunning decade-long spell in Manchester.
The ex-Barcelona man’s defining act, undoubtedly, came following that last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers to clinch the title, marking the perfect way to end a devastating debut campaign in the Premier League.
What perhaps gets lost from that famed moment is the quality of the finish. This was no toe poke or tap in, as Aguero – in what would prove to be trademark fashion – weaved his way into the penalty area, before lashing in from the angle. Cue delirium.
A sea of silverware has since been claimed in the subsequent Guardiola era, but that first title will likely never be eclipsed, nor will Aguero’s magic moment.
It was then understandable for a teary-eyed Guardiola to memorably claim that the club’s star striker could not be replaced, upon his eventual exit, albeit with Haaland then arriving just a year later. Perhaps, in a way, the City boss was right – until now.
Man City have finally found the next Aguero
The obvious point of comparison between Aguero and his positional successor, Haaland, is their rampant goalscoring exploits, although stylistically and physically, the two icons are chalk and cheese.
Goals by competition
Aguero (16/17)
Haaland (22/23)
Premier League
20
36
FA Cup
5
3
Champions League
5
12
Champions League qualifying
3
N/A
EFL
0
1
Community Shield
N/A
0
Total
33
52
The latter man, it must be said, is a giant, a brute, who looks tailor-made for the rigours of Premier League football. All power and precision.
Aguero, meanwhile, was small and slight, a player with far more poise than power, and a delicate touch that Haaland could likely only dream of.
The Scandinavian is then his own man, but one current star who does seemingly boast those Aguero-like qualities is January arrival, Omar Marmoush, with the Egyptian sensation having enjoyed a positive start to life at the Etihad.
Guardiola’s side may be faltering, but Marmoush – who signed on a £59m deal from Eintracht Frankfurt – has been a real bright spark, with Saturday’s strike against Brighton and Hove Albion his fourth goal from just seven league appearances.
The 26-year-old – who analyst Ben Mattinson lauded as the “perfect January signing” – had previously netted a 13-minute hat-trick in the 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle United, on what was just his third Premier League outing. Aguero, for instance, took just four league games to net his first top-flight treble.
The pair are also alike in the fact that both effectively operate as a second striker, with Aguero’s early years seeing him line up alongside the likes of Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez, while Marmoush is now working in tandem with the focal point of Haaland.
The likeness between the City hero and Guardiola’s new addition has also been made by the player himself, with Marmoush highlighting their “similar” playing style, when asked to name any City players he admired.
“Ever since I was young, I used to watch Sergio Aguero, because he had a playing style similar to mine. He wasn’t a big striker but he always moved into spaces and when the ball reached his feet, he was dangerous. So Aguero, of course.”
It is still early days, of course, but on recent evidence, the Cairo native is looking Aguero-like with regard to his finishing prowess, with this hopefully the start of a fruitful and lengthy stint at the Etihad.
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