Sergio Aguero vs. Wayne Rooney: Who Will Have a Bigger Impact This Season?

With Manchester United and Manchester City seemingly the runaway contenders for this year’s Premier League title, the form of Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney has been capturing all the headlines.

The Premier League appears to be taken aback by the superstar Manchester City have brought over from Spain.

A number of onlookers may have been aware of the talent of the former Atletico Madrid man, but thus far, it’s difficult to say whether the majority of fans understand how special “Kun” Aguero really is.

The last superstar who was able to really compete with Lionel Messi for the title of “best player in the world” has left us for Real Madrid, and while Wayne Rooney has managed to outshine other competitors in his position, whether it be due to injury or form, we can be genuinely excited by the prospect of our own Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi for seasons to come.

Aguero, much like Rooney at United, seems to have taken on the role of primary offensive outlet, or talisman, in the absence of Carlos Tevez from City’s starting lineup.

The Argentine capped off a wonderful debut against newly-promoted Swansea by grabbing two goals and an assist, and his presence has also gotten the best out of strike partner Eden Dzeko, who struggled to find his feet for much of his time at the club last season.

Yet, while Aguero and Man City are enjoying their “honeymoon” period, the Premier League is witnessing a resurgent Wayne Rooney—a Rooney with a fiery determination that was lacking for so much of last season.

Whether it’s the spur of the injection of young, fresh faces at United, or simply the acceptance of responsibility, Rooney is displaying a joy for the game and a desire to help his teammates.

Often leading by example, Rooney has welcomed new arrival Ashley Young by striking up a deadly partnership, one which we’ve not seen since the days of Rooney and Ronaldo.

It’s almost as if Rooney has acknowledged the ability and impact of Aguero, and simply doesn’t want to be upstaged as the Premier League’s leading striker.

But, in Aguero, the English league have a player that has the ability to literally tear apart the Barcelona defence.

We’ve seen Rooney and Man United fall at the final hurdle twice, against the Spanish and European Champions, only scoring once while Barca put five in total past then-goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Aguero, on the other hand, was central to Atletico Madrid’s impressive, shocking win over Barcelona two years ago. The forward picked up two goals in the 4-3 win and completely stunned the Catalan back line into submission.

Furthermore, with the supporting cast that he has at Manchester City, there is no reason why Aguero can’t lead City’s charge for the title this season—tearing Manchester United’s defence apart in the process, and posing a very real threat to Sir Alex Ferguson, that this team could displace United as the dominant force in the north of England.

At this early stage of the campaign, it’s still unclear who will blink first in the contest for top goal-scorer, and more importantly, the Premier League title.

But, what is clear, is that for the first time in quite a number of years, we may have a battle of the strikers akin to that of Thierry Henry and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

In what is often described as reckless spending on the part of Manchester City, the Premier League should be grateful for the gift they have given us in Sergio Aguero—a truly remarkable footballer, and one who can bring out the best in those around him, teammates or opposition.