Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Sergio Agüero after the striker scored twice and set up another in Manchester City’s 4-0 rout of West Bromwich Albion, ending the manager’s longest winless sequence in the most convincing fashion.
Guardiola also confirmed the Argentina forward will start the Champions League game at home against Barcelona on Tuesday, having watched most of the humbling reverse fixture 10 days ago on the substitutes’ bench.
Agüero emphatically ended City’s six-game run without a win by scoring two stunning goals in the first half and then teed up Ilkay Gundogan for his first of a double, leaving Guardiola very pleased indeed.
“Sergio is a special player,” the City manager said. “We need him a lot and when he is in that behaviour and in that hunger he is decisive. Sergio is also so important for us because we don’t have too many strikers. Kelechi [Iheanacho] is a young player and has huge talent, but has a lot to learn.”
The manager was keen to enjoy a first win since 24 September rather than put immediate focus on facing his former club, whom he still described as the best, but confirmed that Agüero, who already has 13 goals in all competitions this season, would begin at the Etihad Stadium.
“Now is time to let me enjoy this game and we have time tomorrow to explain [about Barcelona],” he said. “I know how important it is against the best but now it’s time, two hours, to enjoy this victory. It’s better to arrive to the next game with a win rather than a defeat.”
Agüero appeared for the final 11 minutes at Camp Nou, when City were already trailing by three goals, but when pressed on his team for the latest reunion, which will also include the goalkeeper Willy Caballero because of Claudio Bravo’s suspension, Guardiola said of Agüero: “I think so, but I’m not going to tell you which position.”
Guardiola was cheered that City’s winless run had come to an end. “After six times without winning we needed points for the health,” he said. “When you lose, the problem is you lose a bit of confidence each time for the next game and it has happened in this period.”
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