Dubai: In a display that would have made his famous father-in-law proud, Sergio Aguero captured all the headlines on Tuesday.
Aguero's father-in-law is Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona, and the Argentine forward came off the bench to score twice and assist another in his Manchester City debut over Swansea City.
Aguero, married to Maradona’s daughter Giannina, was a club record 38 million pounds ($64 million) for Abu Dhabi-backed City signing from Atletico Madrid over the summer and took just eight minutes to score after coming on as a 60th minute substitute, before blasting in City’s fourth from long range in the final minute. The game ended 4-0.
Three minutes after opening his account, he engineered a goal for David Silva when he hooked the ball back from the goalline and was delighted with his performance after one of the most memorable Premier League debuts in recent times.
While his international team mate Carlos Tevez, who did not play on Monday, has been alienating the club’s fans by demanding a move away Manchester, Aguero instantly played his way into their hearts.
He told the club’s television channel he had enjoyed himself and the headline writers gushed over his performance, with The Times declaring: “Aguero makes instant impact” and The Daily Mail saying: “Instant Hit - Aguero lights up City with wonder goal.”
“I am happy. The start was really good and I want to keep playing like this. It was nice. I had a chance to play a little bit and I enjoyed it,” Aguero said. “I helped the team and I want to keep doing the same in the future.”
Aguero only came on for the last 30 minutes because manager Roberto Mancini realises the player is not yet fully match fit, beginning pre-season training late after competing in the Copa America last month.
However, Aguero added: “He knows how I am and it was okay for me to play 30-35 minutes.”
Applauded off at the end by City’s delighted supporters he added: “The only way for me to thank them is on the pitch and keep doing what I do best.”
The victory over promoted Swansea, back in the top flight for the first time since 1983, put City joint-top of the table after only one game, alongside Bolton Wanderers, who beat another promoted side, Queens Park Rangers, 4-0 on Saturday.
Bolton face City on Sunday with Mancini hinting afterwards that Tevez could return for the game but the Italian knows that with Aguero, he has a special talent in his squad.
“He is a fantastic striker,” he said, “He needs another two or three weeks to be 100 percent fit but he is going to be a fantastic player for us and I am delighted with the whole team’s performance.”
— With inputs from Reuters
