Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 key players to watch — Doing what he does best

ByAndrew Dowdeswell|
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on February 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on February 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 10: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on February 10, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 10: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on February 10, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

4. Sergio Aguero

Somehow, Sergio Aguero might actually be underrated. Criminally, he has never been named in the PFA Team of the Year, he has never quite been seen on the same standing as a prime Robin van Persie or Luis Suarez, and his reputation has often been damaged by the rounded success and quality of the City team as a whole, slighting his own individual exploits.

But make no mistake about it, if Arsenal give the pocket-rocket Argentine even an inch of space, and there are few players who are as intelligent and conniving as Aguero as he slips the attentions of the defenders and seeks out that space, then it will not end well for them. Aguero is a ruthless, uncompromising, quick-strike goalscorer.

Aguero proved his goalscoring prowess last year in the FA Cup semi-final. Released from the halfway line as City broke from an Arsenal corner, with Nacho Monreal raring down, Aguero first showed the speed to outrun him and then the composure to dink his finish over the onrushing Petr Cech. Arsenal need not look far to see proof of the danger that Aguero poses. He’s also scored 21 goals in just 20 Premier League starts. Stopping him will not be easy.