Sergio’s the best in big games
Guardiola backs his man in ‘Battle of Argentina’
PEP GUARDIOLA has backed Sergio Aguero to win the ‘Battle of Argentina’ at the Etihad tomorrow, saying his hitman can eclipse Chelsea’s Gonzalo Higuain. Neither man might win a popularity contest back in their homeland where Lionel Messi remains king, and both have had to make do with scraps from his table. But despite holding a healthy respect for Chelsea’s January loan capture, who hit the ground running with two goals against Huddersfield in his second game for them, Guardiola is confident he has the right man on his side. “The big players appear in the big moments. He [Aguero] did it [against Arsenal] and hopefully he can continue, we need it in the big games,” he said.
“It is not about Sarri or Pep, the game belongs to the players. It helps a bit to understand what Sergio has done and hope it can continue. “That’s what he’s about, sometimes the best players,
they make the big moments. The big athletes come. Some hide and others step forward and say, ‘I’m the boss and we’re going to win this game’. The big clubs need these kind of players.”
City face the final leg of this week’s trio of season-defining games against Chelsea having already despatched Arsenal last Sunday and Everton in a tense encounter at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Aguero may have failed to score on Merseyside as City regained top spot in the table from Everton’s local rivals Liverpool, but his hattrick against the Gunners offered proof of his red-hot current form.
Aguero and Higuain, who were born just six months apart, will go head to head for the first time in nearly a decade – when the pair played across the divide of the city of Madrid for Atletico and Real, respectively.
But while the gamble on Higuain remains in the balance, Aguero is arguably improving with age. The City striker, 30, has struck 14 times in the top flight this season, further embellishing an already gilded record which has seen 157 goals in 228 City outings in eight seasons.
Higuain, a year older, can point to similarly hot form with his double as Chelsea rediscovered their swagger in a
5-0 victory over Huddersfield.
And while the evidence to date may be hard to build a firm case on, history would nevertheless suggest Higuain has what it takes to adapt to yet another European league having already proved his worth in La Liga and Serie A.
And while the list of clubs he has plied his trade grows – his loan deal at Stamford Bridge takes him from Juventus but he played the first half of the season for AC Milan – he has consistently scored goals. Real Madrid, Napoli, Juve and Milan can attest to his lethal qualities when presented with a chance, even if accusations of a lack of application have followed him around – not least of which from Sarri, who loved him at Napoli but once told the striker he was “too lazy to be the best in the world”.
At 31, he remains capable even against the best though, and with Eden Hazard putting chances on a plate, he will not need too many to prove a shrewd acquisition. And Guardiola is aware of the threat
having coached Barcelona when Higuain played four of his six seasons at Real.
“He is a massive striker,” said the City boss. “He drops, he keeps the ball, he has movement, he goes in the box.
“He is a guy who does not need too much to score. And he has great experience with Napoli, Juve, Argentina. He is an exceptional striker.”
City will find out whether they will once again be starting behind Liverpool tomorrow after Jurgen Klopp’s men play Bournemouth at home today. But Guardiola says City have done wonders to haul themselves back into contention.
“We have played one more game than Liverpool and Tottenham so when they equalise we see what happens, but a few days ago it was seven points and now we are in this position with 12 games and a lot of points [still to play for],” he said.
Some players hide, others step forward and say, ‘I’m the boss’