Liverpool stars have understandably dominated Jamie Carragher’s star XI – but Roberto Firmino has been left out for Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.
Jamie Carragher might have caused something of a stir on Anfield by leaving Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino out of his Premier League Team of the Season, while speaking to the Telegraph.
While Jurgen Klopp’s side are storming to their first top-flight title in three decades, with Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and co producing the best performances of their career in the iconic red shirt, the 2019/20 campaign has been a difficult one for Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward.
There has always been far more to Firmino’s game than goals. But a man who has revolutionised the ‘false nine’ role was still expected to offer more in the final third.
In 29 games, the Brazilian international has found the net just eight times in the Premier League. In fact, he hasn’t scored a domestic goal at Anfield since a 2-1 win against Tottenham 12 months ago.
Hence why Carragher has decided to choose Manchester City’s well-oiled goal-machine Sergio Aguero in his hypothetical XI.
“Liverpool fans will be asking, “Where is Roberto Firmino?” the legendary defender admits.
“Leicester fans will want to know why Jamie Vardy is not in this line-up and Arsenal fans Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. I also considered Wolves’ Raul Jimenez, who has scored 22 goals in all competitions and is a class act.”
“But Aguero is too often overlooked. He averages a goal every 88 minutes in the Premier League, making him more prolific than Aubameyang (136 minutes) and Vardy (118 minutes).
“Firmino may complement Salah and Mane in this line-up more effectively, but this is one occasion where the claims of the Argentinian justify selection.”
With 16 efforts in just 17 starts, this has been another remarkable season for Aguero even if many of his Manchester City teammates have slipped a little short of their usual impeccable standards during Pep Guardiola’s fourth year at the Etihad Stadium.
Fortunately for Firmino, the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have scored more than enough between them to put Liverpool on the verge of a first ever Premier League title.
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