Sergio Aguero broke two Premier League records with his hat-trick against Aston Villa on Sunday – but what can the Manchester City striker achieve next?
The Argentinian is now the Premier League’s all-time leading overseas goalscorer on 177, two clear of former Arsenal man Thierry Henry, while his 12th hat-trick in the competition took him one ahead of Alan Shearer.
He is City’s record scorer in all competitions and level with Frank Lampard for fourth place in the all-time Premier League chart – and while Shearer’s record on that front looks likely to be just out of reach, there are a couple more milestones on the immediate horizon for Aguero.
Aguero’s next records?
Most Premier League goals for one club
Aguero moved past Henry into second place in this category on Sunday, leaving only Wayne Rooney ahead of him.
The former England captain netted 183 times for Manchester United in the top flight, leaving Aguero just six behind.
Barring injury, there is a strong chance Aguero could break the record this season – which would also see him match another two.
Most 20-goal Premier League seasons
With 13 league goals now to his name this season, Aguero is eyeing 20 Premier League goals for a seventh time and a sixth in succession – which would equal records held by Shearer and Henry respectively.
Shearer had three successive 30-goal seasons with Blackburn from 1993-94 to 1995-96, including a joint-record 34 in the middle campaign of the three, and then 25 in his first after moving to Newcastle. He added 23 in both 1999-2000 and 2001-02 and 22 in 2003-04.
Henry topped 20 every season from 2001-02 to 2005-06, peaking with 30 in 2003-04, while Aguero scored 23 in 2011-12 and has hit at least 20 in each of the last five seasons.
All-time mark out of reach?
Shearer scored a record 260 Premier League goals in all, 83 ahead of Aguero’s current total.
The latter averages just over 20 goals per season so would need to keep up his current scoring rate for four more seasons to overhaul the record – which would be an impressive achievement for a player who is already 31.
He has reached his current tally at a near-identical rate to Shearer, 255 games to his rival’s 257, but Shearer’s scoring rate slowed thereafter and he required another six seasons and 184 games to reach his final tally.
That could prove unattainable for Aguero given his injury history – he has been on the field for just 64 per cent of City’s league action in his time at the club, and barely 50 per cent this season – so any record bid would probably require him to smash at least one of the aforementioned records for 20-goal seasons.
Andy Cole’s third-placed tally of 187 will be in his sights next season, or possibly even this term with a very strong finish. Rooney’s 208 also appears vulnerable as soon as next year, which would take Aguero second, but Shearer may just about be able to relax.
