Sergio Aguero Pep Guardiola Manchester City
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Aguero reveals how ‘super intense’ Guardiola forced him to ‘adapt’ his game

Manchester City star Sergio Aguero has revealed how he was forced to ‘adapt’ under the ‘super intense’ guidance of Pep Guardiola.

The Argentina international has begun the new season in scintillating form, scoring eight times in just eight Premier League appearances over the opening weeks of the campaign.

At 31, Man City‘s all-time record goalscorer remains as key to their hopes as ever, though Aguero has revealed how he was forced to make alterations to his game following Guardiola’s arrival at the Etihad in 2016.

Many thought Guardiola’s appointment would see Aguero fazed out of the team, the Spaniard having openly demanded more from the forward before signing Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras.

However, following talks with the former Barcelona boss over dinner, Aguero has since evolved his game to match Guardiola’s demands.

“Pep asked me to try a new way of playing and I had to adapt. It wasn’t easy but I had no choice,” Aguero said as part of a new book about the Spaniard, ‘Pep’s City: The Making of a Superteam’.

“My game is totally different now from what I was doing five years ago at City. A total transformation. At that meal, we talked about loads of things.

“We kept postponing it and then when we finally met up, we talked about work for 20 minutes or so. The rest of the meal we spent chatting about other stuff, family, life in general.”

Aguero admits he was ‘taken aback’ by Guardiola’s methods upon his arrival, but says the City boss’ intense demands of his players have built the platform for his success.

“When Pep arrived I was a bit taken aback by his intensity, it wasn’t always easy to understand what he wanted,” he added.

“With Pep, it can feel like he’s putting a lot of pressure on you. You start thinking, “I’ve got to play well” and only end up putting even more pressure on yourself.

“But I understood pretty quickly that’s just how he is. Pep is super intense. He won’t leave you alone for a second. There are no off days.”

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