Why Sergio Aguero Is World-Class and the Best Player in the Premier League

As the first half of Manchester City’s recent game with Newcastle United was drawing to a close, the Blues supporters camped inside the Etihad Stadium could have been forgiven for worrying about the form of their star striker.

Sergio Aguero had only scored a solitary goal from open play all season prior to the game and had looked distinctly out of form. His movement was lacking, and his sharpness in the final third, so often his forte, was also absent.

There were signs of recovery against Steve McClaren’s side in the early stages of the game. He looked busier than he had done in recent matches and already had a couple of decent chances. With moments of the half remaining, he was presented with an opportunity he simply couldn’t miss—a close-range header Tim Krul had no chance with. He scored, and the ground erupted. 

City went in at half-time on level terms. They barely deserved it, given Newcastle had dominated the early stages, but Aguero didn’t care. He was back among the goals and about to remind everyone of his brilliance in what turned out to be a second-half masterclass.

He scored a second soon after the break with a deflected effort, before a beautiful chip over Krul sealed his perfect hat-trick—left-foot, right-foot, header.

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His fourth was arguably his best. He picked up the ball outside the area, dropped a shoulder to send Chancel Mbemba the wrong way, then drove the ball low into the bottom corner to Krul’s left. His fifth was a proper striker’s goal as he ghosted toward the back post and tapped home Kevin De Bruyne’s exceptional blind pass.

Five goals in 20 wonderful minutes—he took just nine touches of the ball during a period that had reduced Newcastle to a wreck. City won the game 6-1 and returned to the summit of the Premier League table.

It was a reminder to everyone that he is, without question, the best striker in the Premier League.

Indeed, Aguero is widely recognised as such. With pace, speed of thought, sharpness in front of goal and a thirst to score, he possesses everything you would want in an archetypal striker.

He joined an elite band of players who have scored five goals in a Premier League match. Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov are the only others to manage the feat. Aguero’s was completed in by far the quickest time, with Defoe’s the next best, coming in 36 minutes when Tottenham Hotspur beat Wigan Athletic in 2009.

His first was his 80th Premier League goal for City, coming in his 128th league match. Only Shearer (102 matches) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (122 matches) reached that figure more quickly.

Is he the best out-and-out striker in Europe? Even Robert Lewandowski, a goal-getter who scores with the kind of regularity most forwards could only dream of, doesn’t possess the full range of qualities Aguero does. The City striker is one of the few players in world football who could realistically play for any club on the planet.

He is City’s best-ever forward, reaching 100 goals quicker than any player in the club’s history. He has bagged 115 in just 175 appearances—that's 0.7 goals per game. Given his injury record, which has seen him constantly spend time on the sidelines nursing muscle problems, it's a remarkable return. 

His manager, Manuel Pellegrini, is understandably a huge admirer of his talent. After his five-goal display against Newcastle, the Chilean reiterated his belief that Aguero is behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of the world’s best players.

"I have already said that, after Ronaldo and Messi, he is the best player in the world.

"The important thing—not only for Kun but as a team—is that we must continue to improve," he said. "We need to win the Premier League again and to win the Champions League because Messi and Ronaldo are always involved in that competition, and that's very important for a player."

"I'm very happy for us that, in Kun, we have a very important player," Pellegrini added. "He always makes important things [contributions] in competitions.

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"Remember, three years ago he decided the title in the last minutes of the season. Last season, he was the top scorer in the Premier League. Every year he is improving, every day he becomes a better professional and he is more mature, so I think he will finish his career with some important achievements."

The Champions League is, of course, a competition City have struggled in. Since their first qualification back in 2011, the furthest they have progressed is the last 16. Pellegrini is keenly aware that to keep his best players happy and fulfilled, he must find a way of improving their performance in the competition.

Is there another forward in the Premier League who can match Aguero? 

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Diego Costa is often cited as the only Premier League striker who can challenge Aguero for supremacy. The Chelsea man is seen as ideal for English football: strong, capable of playing with his back to goal and a deadly threat inside the penalty area.

Costa bullies defenders, never giving them a rest and always prepared to engage in the physical side of the game. He brought a much-needed cutting edge to Chelsea last season, and his 21 goals and excellent overall displays were a huge reason they managed to win the League Cup and the Premier League.

However, he lacks the brilliance of Aguero—the explosiveness and the moments of extreme, gravity-defying skill. It is perhaps the Argentinian’s movement that separates him from other top strikers. He is constantly alert and on his toes, looking to pull defenders around into areas where they feel uncomfortable.

In terms of producing in the final third, it's Aguero, with his blistering pace and low centre of gravity, with a style akin to the great Romario, who offers the most in the division. 

As reported by Jamie Jackson in the Guardian, Aguero has hinted his recent injury, suffered on international duty with Argentina, could see him miss City’s next seven matches. It’s a huge blow to Pellegrini and the rest of the squad, who all rely heavily on his ability to convert chances into goals.

This, then, would appear to be Wilfried Bony’s chance to shine. The Ivorian has found his opportunities somewhat limited since arriving from Swansea City in January, with the AFCON tournament delaying his introduction to the side before injuries and Pellegrini’s switch to 4-2-3-1 held him back further.

It would be impossible for Bony to replace Aguero completely, but he must find a way of bringing more to the table than he has so far in his short City career. 

While David Silva remains the most important player in the City squad, the chief conductor of City's best moments, Aguero is the man who often takes the headlines. He scores freely, terrorises defences with his movement and pace and consistently makes chances for himself through his energy and industry. 

He's a joy to watch, and the City fans know they have never seen a striker with as much quality as Kun. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.