Manchester City's former striker Sergio Aguero is looking forward to the climax of the title run-in, and the prospects of Pep Guardiola's team as they fight on three fronts in the remaining games of their season, giving his verdict on the contributions of Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Jack Grealish in the process.
Touching on this season's battle between Arsenal and City, which will likely rest on the Manchester side's games-in-hand, Aguero admitted it has been a little too close for comfort for his liking, saying:
"They've been fighting neck-and-neck throughout the whole campaign, and they don't want it to slip away at the last stretch.
"Fight until the very end, my catchphrase... but that's in City's DNA by now. Time and time again, we've proven that."
Silky Silva:
Aguero singled out Silva, Stones and Grealish for special praise, with the Argentinian lamenting the potential loss of his former teammate Silva, who is rumoured to be exiting the Etihad Stadium this summer. Speaking about the impact that Silva has had for Manchester City this season, Aguero said:
"Oh, Bernardo, what a player! He can do no wrong. Bernardo is the decisive factor. If he chooses to leave... we'll miss him, for sure. No matter the position he's playing, you can tell he tips the balance of the match for City.
"The bracket against Bayern Munich saw Bernardo play brilliantly, especially during the first match. Not a lot of players have the combination of skills that he has – dribbling, passing, scoring, and great awareness."
Jack in the Box:
Despite Erling Haaland grabbing most of the headlines this season with his incredible form, another player who has also been a key performer for City is record-signing Jack Grealish. Although he perhaps failed to live up to expectations in his debut campaign in the North of England, Grealish has been a regular contributor of goals and assists since the Fifa World Cup 2022 and Aguero recognises his achievements, heaping praise on the former Aston Villa player:
"Jack did take his first season to adapt, and with time, he's grown to be key to the team. You can see he understands Pep's system and that allows him to make a difference. He's got superb ball control – snatching it from him looks very tough –, great passing, assists, and finishing."
Stones Steps-Up:
34-year-old Aguero also called out another player for their improvement under Pep Guardiola's stewardship, in England defender John Stones, who has adapted into a midfield role under the new system that has been employed by City this season. Like Silva, Stones is a former teammate of Aguero's and City's record goalscorer, who notched up 184 goals over a decade in Manchester, believes that Stone's is now getting the recognition that he deserves:
"Everyone should know by now that John Stones is a quality player, and a quality person too. He's having a wonderful season, playing in many positions and doing a great job at each of them to boot.
"Being able to play a little bit closer to the opposing goal has afforded him some chances to score too. John is also very tight on his marking, and he can manoeuvre the ball with care and precision."
Aguero is understandably excited for the climax of the season and doesn't rule out repeating his actions following Argentina's Fifa World Cup 2022 victory, in which he appeared in his country's full kit to join in the celebrations, proclaiming that "he would love for that to happen" in the title race, but that "...it ain't over til it's over."
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