When Manchester City fans crawled out of bed on Friday morning they were greeted with some unexpected and unwanted news. Sergio Agüero lasted just 24 minutes of Argentina’s World Cup Qualifier against Ecuador before succumbing to a hamstring injury. A picture of anguish, he was stretchered off the pitch.
After snapping his minor goalscoring funk with a majestic display against Newcastle last Saturday, a return to his virtually unstoppable form of last season seemed all but certain. Unfortunately, as is becoming frighteningly regular with the Argentine, an injury has brought that prospect to a grinding halt.
However, misfortune for one is an opportunity for another. Wilfried Bony, who has undoubtedly struggled to make his mark on the side thus far, could have an extended run in the team to do just that. An amalgamation of injury problems and limited playing time hasn’t helped Bony’s cause, but there wouldn’t be many City fans who wouldn’t argue that he hasn’t hit too many high notes. He has been tidy in possession, linking well with the midfield, but his play has yielded just two goals since his January transfer from Swansea.
With Sergio’s lay-off anticipated to be roughly a month, consecutive starts could be the perfect tonic for the Ivorian to recapture the scintillating goal-scoring form that made him the Premier League’s most lethal marksman in 2014. The combination of physical hold up play and cultured finishing struck terror in to the nation’s most frugal defences. He needs to go back to basics and play to his strengths.
An additional question mark will surely remain over his ability to mix it with the cream of European football, regardless of whether he can revitalise himself domestically. Crucial back to back fixtures against Sevilla offer an ideal chance for him to allay those reservations, in what is sure to be a pressure cooker situation. He couldn’t have a better support act to evoke his best form, either. It is not now or never, but the next run of games could go a significant way to making or breaking his City career.
Pellegrini’s decision not to reinforce after the departures of Džeko and Jovetic could largely have been instigated by the emergence of Kelechi, but also points to his confidence and belief in Bony. It is vital for Manchester City’s prospects in the coming weeks that that confidence is relayed and the Ivorian becomes a focal point for the team. There is sufficient evidence to suggest he can produce the goods, and there is no time like the present in which to do it.
