Manchester City star Sergio Aguero has given a long and good interview to France Football this week, speaking of the high status he’s earned at the club since his arrival in 2011.
One of the questions was exactly about his choice to sign for the Premier League side, which seemed to be a little unusual at that time.
“I knew that I wasn’t going to continue at Atletico Madrid. I was waiting to see what was the best option for me, especially in relation to the way I play. City were interested and Roberto Mancini, the coach, called me. There were other Argentineans here, Tévez and Zabaleta. I decided to come, and I think I did well,” Aguero told France Football.
The interviewer soon asked what 93 minutes and 20 seconds means to him, and he talked a little about his historic goal which gave Manchester City the Premier League title in 2013.
“The moment of my goal against Queens Park Rangers. We were very nervous that day because we weren’t used to playing this kind of match, which can give you a title. A lot of my teammates had never won anything. Hence the stress and anxiety that inhabited us. We had a difficult game until the 93rd minute when I had the opportunity to score. We suffered a lot.
“I think that if we had not won the Premier League that day, it would have been a great disappointment. We had all the cards in hand to win at home, and if we had failed, maybe other defeats would have followed. We would have probably rehashed this game later. But, fortunately, it was not the case, and we could fight for the title the following season and those after. When I arrived, City had just won the FA Cup, but I believe this title has earned us the respect in the Premier League and gleaned four of the last eight leagues.”
Although he chases records after being the club’s top scorer and now surpassing other Premier League legends, he claims he’s not worried about his number of goals.
“No, although I recognise that it’s beautiful to score. Younger, I wasn’t a pure striker. When I arrived here, I started playing more like a number 9, and I got used to scoring goals. This is not an obsession because, finally, if we are focused on it, things don’t necessarily happen as we would like. I try to be as calm as possible because I know that now I play up front, and that sooner or later I will have an opportunity to score. The best way to score is to not think too much about it.”
Speaking of his relationship with manager Pep Guardiola, Aguero said he must do his best so the boss won’t replace him with another striker.
“Everything is fine. We talk a lot. We have come to know each other since his arrival, and everything is clear between us. I know how he is, and vice versa. When he makes me play, I try to do the best possible, because I know that behind me, I have Gabriel Jesus, an attacker who responds quick and scores goals whenever he has the opportunity to be on the pitch. This is probably a big problem for Pep when he has to choose who he will play.”
With Manchester City and Liverpool being on top of English football for the past couple of years, Aguero was asked about the match between them being the big attraction now, instead of the usual derby against Manchester United. But he disagrees with it.
“It may be the clasico for television, but for us, the clasico, it’s the match against United. Liverpool has always been a tough opponent. But when I arrived, the team we were fighting for the title was United. Initially, it was something strange in the city that City competes against United. Then there was Chelsea. But these last four seasons, Liverpool have become a very strong team and are now fighting with us to win the Premier League. It’s the only team in the league that can hurt us. They have been chasing a new league for years . Last season, they didn’t go all the way, so they are very motivated. This year, they are in front of us and will try to go to the end.”
Finally on Sunday’s trip to Anfield, he said: “We know that this is a ground where it’s very difficult to win, but we’ll try to do it because it has been a long time since the club last won there. This will be a key match for the title.”