Aguero out to end Anfield hoodoo

Sergio Aguero has the chance to fill in a rare blank on his record on Sunday by scoring at Anfield for the first time.

He has five Premier League goals against Liverpool but none in nine previous visits to their home – seven with Manchester City and two with his previous club Atletico Madrid.

And indeed, he has been kept remarkably quiet by a decade of Reds defences – he has got away only 10 shots in the nine games, with only three of those on target.

Liverpool 1 Atletico Madrid 1
Champions League, November 4, 2008

The scoreless run started with 20 minutes as a substitute in a Champions League group stage clash when he did not muster a shot. Atleti led through Maxi Rodriguez when the 20-year-old Aguero came on but Steven Gerrard’s late penalty ensured the game, like the one in Spain two weeks earlier, finished 1-1.

Liverpool 2 Atletico Madrid 1
Europa League, April 29, 2010

Two years later, Aguero was remarkably kept from having a single shot in 119 minutes as Liverpool won 2-1 after extra-time but lost the semi-final on away goals after Diego Forlan’s late strike. Aguero’s best chance came when he was forced wide by home goalkeeper Jose Reina and could not find a team-mate to cross to.

Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1
Premier League, November 27, 2011

Reina crucially beat Aguero to Jose Enrique’s poor back pass and he then lost balance after tricking his way through the home defence, but he was largely kept at arm’s length until he gave way to Edin Dzeko – moments before another substitute City striker, Mario Balotelli, was sent off.

Liverpool 2 Manchester City 2
League Cup, January 25, 2012

A futile 45 minutes as a substitute for Aguero as Liverpool won 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final, where they beat Cardiff on penalties.

Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2
Premier League, April 13, 2014

Again Aguero was introduced from the bench, this time midway through the second half, but his most threatening moment was a cross from which David Silva shot wide.

Liverpool 2 Manchester City 1
Premier League, March 1, 2015

Arguably Aguero’s most productive Anfield outing as he rattled a post early on, set up a goal for Dzeko and went close with a pair of second-half efforts, but he still finished scoreless and on the losing side.

Liverpool 3 Manchester City 0
Premier League, March 2, 2016

Three days after City beat Liverpool on penalties in the League Cup final – with Aguero scoreless but successful in the shoot-out – he saw a header cleared off the line by former team-mate James Milner as the Reds turned the tables.

Liverpool 1 Manchester City 0
Premier League, December 31, 2016

Aguero, returning from a four-game suspension, tested Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet early in the second half but was kept quiet on the whole as Jurgen Klopp’s defence bossed the game.

Liverpool 4 Manchester City 3
Premier League, January 14, 2018

Even with seven goals in a thrilling game, Aguero could not get himself among the scorers. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah ended City’s hopes of an unbeaten season despite goals from Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.