Manchester City now 'playing more' with Sergio Aguero as striker closes in on goalscoring record
Aguero is one goal away from equalling Eric Brook's all-time City goal-scoring record
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Your support makes all the difference.Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City players are now playing in tune with Sergio Aguero, as the Argentine prepares to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Aguero is one goal away from equalling Eric Brook’s record of 177 and could well match and surpass the milestone in Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk.
It is all a far cry from the turn of the year when the 29-year-old’s automatic starting spot appeared under threat following the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, who some suggested was more suited to Guardiola’s high-pressing style of play.
Aguero, however, started ahead of Jesus in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace and is fine form, with six goals in his last four games.Guardiola believes this is partly because the rest of his side is has adapted to the Argentine.
“Maybe now we play more with him. We are looking not just in the finishing,” he said. “Before maybe Sergio just scores a goal. Now in the process when John [Stones] or Nicolas [Otamendi] has the ball, we know always he is there.
“The last goal he scores against Crystal Palace, that is what we want. His first metres are so quick and he is so powerful in the legs and I am so happy he is doing that.”
City will look to build on their perfect start to the Champions League group stage following the 4-0 victory away to Feyenoord a fortnight ago.
Guardiola is not taking anything for granted against Shakhtar, however, having been impressed by the Ukrainian champions during his spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
“It is the seventh time I play against Shakhtar, once in the Super Cup and three in the Champions League and every time before I have the same feeling,” he said.
“The first time we face in the group stage, my team went to see them and came back saying: ‘Wow’. My team were really impressed.
“I can assure you it was one of the best teams in terms of playing football. They had five or six Brazilians. It always was so tough for me.
“They beat one of the best teams in Napoli. Napoli are one of the three or four or five best teams [in Europe], they are leading the Italian league and they beat them.
“People say 'Napoli - it's not Milan or Juventus. Shakhtar, it's Ukraine'. The group is tricky. We'll be next two games at home and we can take a big step towards the knockout round in February.”
Despite his kind words, Guardiola’s Bayern inflicted Shakhtar’s record European defeat with a 7-0 victory in the 2014/15 knockout stage and after scoring four goals or more in their last four games, his current side are more than capable of another handsome win.
City will give a late fitness test to Benjamin Mendy, who limped off with a knee injury in Saturday’s win over Palace. Ilkay Gundogan and Vincent Kompany remain unavailable, with knee and calf problems respectively.
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