Exclusive Sergio Agüero Interview - March Insights & Predictions

This March we caught up with Stake Ambassador and football legend Sergio Agüero ahead of the upcoming Premier League Title Race where he shared his insights and predictions, as well as discussing all things Premier League, Champions League & the upcoming 2026 International Soccer Tournament.

Check out this exclusive interview below, and get the latest soccer betting odds when you join Stake Sportsbook today.

How poor was that performance from Pep Guardiola in the first leg?

City started very well. In the first 15 minutes they played good football and had chances to score. After the first goal it became more difficult for them, and Valverde, who had a fantastic game, made the difference.

It’s hard to talk about defensive problems when we know that in Guardiola’s teams everyone defends and everyone attacks. But the reality is that Madrid took advantage of the spaces City left, and Madrid didn’t miss their chances.

Did you ever find that Guardiola complicates his lineups for the big Champions League games?

We all know what Pep is like and that he often makes changes to the lineup. It doesn’t surprise me. And many times those tweaks have worked extremely well for him.

It’s easy to talk when it doesn’t work. Guardiola trusts his instincts and his perceptions, and that will always be the case.

Erling Haaland is not performing in this new system, is he? That’s now four goals, including two penalties, in 15 games this year?

It’s true that he’s scored fewer goals, but I think he’s made huge progress in his team play. He holds the ball up more, he assists, he defends. He’s a more complete player now.

And even though he has scored fewer goals, the team hasn’t stopped scoring. Semenyo’s case is just one example.

Could that Vinicius Jr penalty be another Ousmane Dembele miss when he failed to score the fourth goal against Liverpool for Barcelona? Do City still have a chance of making a comeback?

Every match still has to be played. It’s an important gap, but at this level anything is possible. I’m sure City will go out there trying to win.

Also, no two games are the same. It’s true that Madrid will recover Mbappé, Carreras and Bellingham, and that will make things harder. But you have to believe in the team.

Many times it has been Madrid producing the comeback. Why couldn’t City do it this time? Especially a club like City that has “fight until the end” in its DNA.

Are City in danger of conceding even more goals in the next leg if Mbappe returns?

We’ll have to see how Kylian returns because he’s coming back from a complicated injury. But he’s a top player and can always make the difference.But as I always say, a team doesn’t depend on just one player.

Can you see Pep Guardiola staying on as Man City manager next season?

I’ve said it before. Pep has a contract until 2027, so there’s really no point speculating about that.

Who would be the best replacement?

When the time comes, City will know how to replace him. As I said, it’s always difficult to find the ideal person after such a long process.

It happened to United with Ferguson and Arsenal with Wenger, just to give a couple of examples. But I’m sure that when the time comes, City will find the right successor.

Who can you see winning more trophies this season, City or Arsenal?

Shall we talk at the end of the season?

I don’t like making those kinds of predictions, and my opinion won’t change depending on which of the two wins more trophies. Both are doing very well in the competitions they’re playing.

In the final stages everything is decided by small details. I hope City ends up with more success, but it’s impossible to know.

Can you give us a combined Arsenal/City XI ahead of the Carabao Cup final?

I think any combination would result in a fantastic team.

You look at Arsenal’s squad and City’s squad and you see top-level players everywhere. You could probably build four excellent teams from those two squads.

A lot has been made of the amount of set piece goals scored this season, is it sad to see Premier League football moving this way?

They’re resources that have been used in different periods of football. If a team manages to score many goals from throw-ins or corners, it’s logical that they keep using that system.

And it works until the opponent figures it out and finds a way to stop it. Then it ends.You’d have to ask the fans if they like it or not. But I’m sure the supporters of the team scoring those goals are very happy with it.

Does Mikel Arteta need to win silverware to keep his job this season?

I’ve said it before. It shouldn’t be like that.

He has built very competitive teams and now he has a very complete squad with more experience. And they’ve been fighting for titles in recent years.

Phil Foden has been struggling for minutes under Guardiola recently, does this put his International Soccer Tournament spot at risk?

I hope not. We all know the quality Phil has and how important he is for the team and also for his national side.

He’s had fewer minutes, it’s true, but whenever he’s come on he’s done well and he looks in perfect physical condition.

Aside from Virgil van Dijk, who was the toughest Liverpool defender you ever faced?

Virgil was definitely the toughest. Skrtel was also a very tough opponent.And Robertson, even though he plays on the left side, has great speed and is very strong physically.

Do you still think Manchester City can or will win the Premier League this season?

Why not? It’s difficult, of course. But it was also difficult in 2012 and we all know how that ended.

These are different moments, but what I mean is that in the Premier League nothing is decided until the very end.

What have you made of Antoine Semenyo's start to life at the Etihad Stadium?

He’s done very well. His start impressed me because he arrived in an already well-built team and adapted perfectly, scoring many goals and important ones too.

What are the main reasons City are trailing Arsenal in the title race?

Because Arsenal have been more consistent, not just now but also in previous seasons. And because despite the difficulties they had many injury problems they managed to bounce back quickly.

Both teams know exactly how they want to play, they have great players and two of the best managers in the league.

What have you made of the quick adaptations of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi – does City's recruitment team get enough credit?

I already mentioned Semenyo. And Guehi doesn’t surprise me. He’s an England international and a very reliable defender.

What have you made of Benjamin Sesko's prolific form for Manchester United?

I said before when I was asked about him that he needed time to adapt to English football. It seems he has now done that and has started scoring goals.

Now the key will be consistency and maintaining that level. I think it’s also related to the team improving.

Since Carrick arrived, United has recovered the spirit we once knew from them. And that’s not a small thing. We’ve seen them come back in matches and win them late again, something we hadn’t seen for a long time. And that improvement has benefited the strikers.

Are Arsenal boring and should neutral fans who love attacking football be hoping City win the title?

What does “boring football” even mean?

I don’t think it’s boring for their fans when their team is at the top of the table. Saying they’re boring because they often score from set pieces minimizes their style of play.Maybe it’s not fun for fans of other teams, and I can understand that. But I don’t think that should determine who neutral fans want to win the title.

Who do you think will win the Champions League and why?

We’ll have to see how the draw looks after the round of 16. But I don’t think there will be big surprises.

Bayern Munich look very solid and Atlético seems ready to fight. But the main contenders are the usual ones: those two, plus Barcelona, PSG, and of course Madrid or City.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled for consistent form this season, what advice would you give him?

He’s had injury problems, but his quality has never been in doubt. Now he’s back and he’s done very well.

He has a great right foot and is a fantastic provider of assists. Madrid has recovered a great player.

Can he still be a success at Real Madrid?

Whatever happens in the Champions League, of course he can.They’re fighting for La Liga and they have a squad full of great players. We’ll have to see how the injury situation develops because they’ve had many.

Can you see him returning to the Premier League one day?

If you mean Trent, you never know. He’s a player with the qualities to play in any top league in the world.

Former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has been linked with a possible return to Liverpool, could you see that happening?

Xabi has a lot of history with Liverpool. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future he became their manager.

How do you see the La Liga title race panning out?

I think everything will depend on how consistent Barcelona and Madrid are from now on.

Flick’s team is doing very well and with Lamine and Pedri they’re getting the results they want. On the other side you have Madrid, who are not at their best and have gone through a coaching change. But it’s Madrid, so you can never relax.

Who are your current favourites for the International Soccer Tournament?

I don’t know if I’d talk about favourites. I prefer to talk about contenders, and there are several.Of course I want the Argentina national team to do very well. There are great teams France, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil and they all want to win it.Since it’s a new format there might be some surprises. But we’ll have to see how players arrive physically. The season has been very demanding, there have been many injuries, and we’ll see which teams suffer the least from that.

Endrick had made an impressive start on loan at Lyon before his red card vs Nantes, can he lead the line for Brazil at the International Soccer Tournament?

What’s certain is that the move came at the best moment for him to get playing time. He didn’t have that at Madrid and now he does, aside from the red card.He’s a very powerful striker and another option that Ancelotti will have available.

PSG are reportedly interested in signing Enzo Fernandez, can you see why and is he better off staying at Chelsea?

I’m not aware of that interest and I’m not the one to give advice to Enzo on that.He’s a very capable player and will know what’s best for him. He’s having a great season with Chelsea and that makes me very happy. For him, and also for the Argentina national team, because Enzo is one of its key players.