Yesterday marked a significant moment in Sergio Aguero’s career.
The Argentine finisher opened the floodgates in Man City’s convincing win over Cardiff with a trademark finish to take him into the Premier League’s all-time top ten scorers.
Aguero’s 147th Premier League goal took him clear of Teddy Sheringham.
The question now is, how high up the rankings will he be by the time he departs these shores?
Having surpassed Sheringham, Man City’s most deadly marksman has two more legends in his sights for the immediate future.
He needs just three more goals to overtake Les Ferdinand and one more after that will see him leapfrog Michael Owen.
So, we can expect Aguero to become the eighth most prolific Premier League goalscorer of all-time soon after the next international break, give or take a couple of games.
Next on his hit list after that will be Jermain Defoe on 162 goals.
The 35-year-old Bournemouth forward is the only other active Premier League player in the top ten and could well add to his tally to keep Aguero at bay a little longer.
However, the veteran poacher has taken up an understudy role at Dean Court while Aguero is still very much City’s primary goalscorer.
Aguero will fancy his chances of making up the 15 goals between himself and Defoe before the season is done and dusted.
Just one more after that will see him draw level with Robbie Fowler.
17 more goals this season will propel Aguero to sixth in the all-time list.
It’s not inconceivable that he could score another 28 goals this season.
It would mean matching Mohamed Salah’s record-breaking tally of 32 goals from last season.
Difficult? Very.
Impossible? Certainly not.
Such a tally would draw Aguero level with Thierry Henry on 175 Premier League goals.
The bad news for the legends above Aguero in the all-time list is that the 30-year-old recently signed a new contract that will keep him at the Etihad until 2021.
In theory, he has two and three quarter seasons left to build on his already impressive legacy.
Enough time to overtake Frank Lampard and Andy Cole to take his place in the all-time podium, surely?
Second-placed Wayne Rooney is currently 61 goals ahead of Aguero.
DC United’s No9 may be a little concerned about his spot in the rankings but top dog Alan Shearer can sleep easily for a few more years.
The Newcastle legend finished on 260 premier League goals — not bad, is it?
Aguero has always struggled with injuries but he has already proclaimed himself to be in ‘fantastic’ shape after his knee operation at the end of last season.
Surely he will be targeting nothing less than Rooney’s total of 208 goals?
PREMIER LEAGUE ALL-TIME TOP SCORERS:
- Alan Shearer – 260 goals
- Wayne Rooney – 208 goals
- Andy Cole – 187 goals
- Frank Lampard – 177 goals
- Thierry Henry – 175 goals
- Robbie Fowler – 163 goals
- Jermain Defoe – 162 goals (and counting)
- Michael Owen – 150 goals
- Les Ferdinand – 149 goals
- SERGIO AGUERO – 147 goals
Good luck, Sergio.
We’ll all be watching.
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