Sergio Agüero: Rating His Debut for Manchester City Against Swansea

£38 million is a lot of money to pay back, but Sergio Agüero looked determined to reimburse his hefty transfer fee with interest.

The new signing was an expensive substitute for the first 59 minutes of the match but an impressive 30-minute display has all but ensured his place in the starting 11 against Bolton.

Agüero made his debut immediately after Edin Dzeko’s opening goal, replacing the impressive Nigel De Jong. Although he could have made his City debut in more difficult circumstances, the 23-year-old striker was eager to exhibit his quality.

Less than one minute into his debut the Argentine found himself in the midst of action, launching a teasing shot that Michel Vorm stopped fantastically. The rebound fell to an offside Yaya Toure.

His second touch was equally as impressive; the wiry striker teased his way through two Swansea defenders and almost squeezed the ball in from the tightest of angles.

His pace, ball control and accurate shot were present for all to see from the very beginning.

It only took seven minutes for Agüero to find the net. The Argentine found himself on the end of a teasing ball into the six-yard box, all he had to do was pass the ball into the net. Which he did with ease.

The 23-year-old showed excellent vision, anticipation and pace to run in behind the defender, thus finding himself in open space in his opponent’s six-yard box. It was a true striker’s goal.  

Three minutes later, the two smallest players on the pitch came together. David Silva and Agüero seem to speak and play the same language.

Agüero’s determination inadvertently, but brilliantly, left David Silva with a simple tap-in to secure City’s third goal of the night. After lobbing the ball over the keeper’s head the ball was millimetres away from crossing the line. The Argentine's grit and determination to win the ball enabled him to flip the ball over his head and provided David Silva with a tap-in.

The combination between Agüero and Silva is already showing promise.

The striker continued to show signs of promise and flair, a back heel at the edge of the box after 82 minutes nearly created a one-on-one opportunity for striker partner Edin Dzeko.             

In the 87th minute the talismanic striker illustrated excellent ball control to feed the ball to Yaya Toure on the centre line, despite coming under pressure from two Swansea midfielders. The pass triggered another City attack, which ended with a clumsy shot from the Ivorian.

A sublime effort from 35 yards led to Aguero’s second goal. The dip and the power of the shot made it impossible for the Vorm to get a hand to. The ball whizzed its way into the top right corner.

The 23-year-old Argentine had a sensational impact on the pitch, and looked fit and sharp. Roberto Mancini’s decision to rest him proved itself to be a prudent decision.

Coming off the pitch it did not look as if the striker had broken a sweat, despite his endeavours.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany expressed their delight with their newest teammate.

“£38 million is an expensive price tag, but it’s money well spent,” said Joe Hart.

"He’s definitely come here and surprised us, he has got great potential. He also showed some great moments defending and was hard on the man [his opponents,]” added Vincent Kompany.

Roberto Mancini also shared his opinion on his newest acquisition. “He needs another two or three weeks to be 100 per cent, maybe.

“For me he is a fantastic striker, he is young, for us he will be a fantastic player in the future,” he added.

The Argentine has been signed as a replacement for want away club captain Carlos Tevez. His performance may not be enough to convince City’s number 32 to stay, but all the signs suggest they are in good hands with Agüero spearheading their attack in the future.

He was quick, sharp, determined and has a keen eye for goal.

Sergio Agüero has impressed in his Manchester City debut, but tougher challenges lie ahead. He has set himself a high benchmark to follow but there is no reason he cannot build on his performance and fill the void left by Carlos Tevez.