Aguerooooo!
2-1 down, 90 minutes into the final matchday of the campaign, the eluded Premier League Title seemed to slip through the fingers of Manchester City on August 28, 2011. Dzeko then ignited some hope and life back into the Man City faithful. He scored off Silva’s cross in the second minute into the injury time. Each passing second felt like a nanosecond for the City fans, and a lifetime for the rival fans. Manchester United had done their job and secured a victory against Sunderland; just a couple more minutes away from adding another title in their cabinet.
Aguero and Balotelli link up on the edge of the box. Balotelli somehow manages to return the ball to Aguero. Aguero takes the first touch away from the defender. Then, he thumps the ball past the keeper to the back of the net in 93:20. The shirt goes off and so does the whole stadium. An unbelievable end to the match and the 2011/12 Premier League season. An ending the best of scriptwriters can’t possibly muster up. Staggering! Just Staggering!
Coming back from 2-1 behind against Queen’s Park Rangers, and scoring the final goal of the match to make it 2-3, Aguero pulled off the unthinkable. It bestowed the City fans with the best possible present to their followers. What made it even sweeter for them was snatching the coveted Premier League trophy from Manchester United. Hence, the 93:20 moment is arguably the ultimate highlight reel of Sergio Leonel Agüero. But he was much more than just that. The outpouring he received upon the announcement of early retirement (due to heart condition) at the age of 33 epitomizes that– early considering his contemporaries are still going strong, and Kun was certainly capable of being in that conversation. But as things stand, that is not possible, and this is not a sorry story we are inscribing, for we are going to celebrate all that he has given to this beautiful game.
City Legend
Often overlooked in the conversations of strikers or goal-scorers, Agüero did most things a no. 9 needed to do and much more. He is not a Manchester City legend for nothing. From helping them win their first-ever title with 23 goals to making them the force they are today, he was their main man for seasons. He is the highest goal-scorer for Manchester City in the Premier League, in the Champions League, and across all other competitions combined. Agüero is etched in their history in golden letters. Given the recent unveiling of the statues of Silva and Company, an Agüero statue is just around the corner, albeit it will most likely take the center stage.
Greatness of Aguero
Not just for Manchester City, his stats for Atletico Madrid and Argentina are equally impressive. He lies in the top four all-time top scorers for Atletico and the top three for the Argentine National Team. With five Premier League titles in 9 years, the recent Copa America triumph, and several other trophies with Manchester City and Atletico, Agüero has had a career worthy of being super proud of. Coming agonizingly close to the World Cup trophy in 2014, and the Champions League trophy in the recently concluded season of 2020-21 will probably be the bitter pills to swallow for him professionally, apart from having to bid goodbye to the game altogether as a player.
Although short in stature physically, his stature in world football is nothing short of greatness. Aguero is a modern-day great. He made most of his abilities, played the game in the right spirit while giving his opponents painstaking times. He won trophies, made friends from the world all over, and won the hearts of millions around the globe. That’s a resume most elite sportspersons would revel in. Not the fairy-tale ending we wanted for him, but we will keep reminiscing the epic story he conjured up, for years to come.
