Upon joining Manchester City in 2011, Sergio Aguero carried a £35 million valuation along with status as one of the world’s premier forwards, representing the ideal signing for the well-funded, aspirational club to progress.
Although City were not yet dominating the Premier League, securing the FA Cup at the conclusion of the 2010/11 campaign served as a sign of their impending success.
Aguero made an immediate impact, scoring 30 goals during his initial season in England, while Roberto Mancini’s team battled closely with local rivals Manchester United in a fierce pursuit of the league championship.
Select your ideal 4-4-2 team using players from FourFourTwo’s official Top 100 rankings
Aguero reflects on defeating Manchester United
For decades, City existed in the shadow of United, and Aguero fully understood the psychological change required to displace their local adversaries.
“Naturally, signing for the team was proven to be an excellent choice once we ended my opening year as league winners,” Aguero told FourFourTwo. “It was a monumental trophy for Manchester City.”
That championship concluded an extraordinary year for both the team and the forward, culminating in dramatic style when Aguero scored his legendary, league-clinching goal in stoppage time against QPR.
Though that historic strike is a defining moment of his career, Aguero takes immense pride in another achievement from that season—completing a historic league double over Manchester United.
The ex-Atletico Madrid forward scored during City’s historic 6-1 rout at Old Trafford in October, before contributing to a crucial 1-0 victory at the Etihad in late April that turned the tide of the championship battle.
“I cherish the memories of our fixtures with Manchester United during that campaign,” he added. “Crucially, we emerged victorious in both matches. Back then, City had accepted a subordinate role to United, believing they were unable to defeat them.”
Breaking free from this defeatist outlook was vital for Aguero.
“When I began playing against United, my attitude was that we had to alter things—we needed to believe we could defeat them and claim the Manchester derby.”
“And that is exactly what happened. The squad and I performed brilliantly. I found complete focus during those derbies. I constantly told myself that scoring against United was essential to secure the win.”
“My concentration was absolute, and fortunately, those games frequently turned out in our favor.”
