Why Gabriel Jesus is ready to replace Sergio Aguero as Manchester City's chief striker

Since Gabriel Jesus' arrival in January 2017, Manchester City have been steadily preparing the Brazilian to prove himself as Sergio Aguero's long-term replacement at centre forward.

After three years of guidance, Jesus finally looks ready to replace a club legend in Aguero, who turns 32 in June and has already started to feature less often despite retaining his world-class abilities. Jesus will feel as though now is the perfect opportunity to forge his own legacy in a City shirt, with this campaign playing a pivotal role in proving his doubters wrong.

The Brazilian, who turns 23 next month, has been trusted now more than ever by Pep Guardiola this term to fulfil the role of a reliable number nine in a side packed with creative talents. His stats speak for themselves:

71 - This is Gabriel Jesus' 76th start in all competitions for Manchester City; in these starts only the Brazilian has directly contributed to 71 goals, scoring 54 times and assisting a further 17. Understudy. pic.twitter.com/KZ54Ah5aqv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 12, 2020

Why the Brazilian has justified Guardiola's trust

The Spaniard's trust hasn't gone unrewarded. Jesus has netted 18 goals this term, accompanying nine assists across all competitions. Despite City's collective underperformance in England's top-flight, he has enjoyed many memorable moments in 2019-20 - though his evening at the Bernabeu on February 26 will not be forgotten by fans.

During the first-leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, City managed a famous 2-1 victory against Los Blancos, recovering from a 1-0 deficit to prevail against the odds in a spirited second-half showing - which all began with Jesus' tireless work.

He equalised in unpredictable fashion, beating Sergio Ramos in the air to head beyond Thibaut Courtois from close-range. Kevin de Bruyne showed nerves of steel to convert a late penalty after substitute Raheem Sterling was hauled down in the box, with City recording their first victory in club history over Real after four unsuccessful attempts.

Gabriel Jesus’ game by numbers vs. Real Madrid:✅ 95% pass accuracy ✅ 8 ball recoveries ✅ 4 shots (2 on target)✅ 3 successful take-ons ✅ 2 interceptions ✅ 2 tackles won✅ 2 aerials won✅ 1 goal Shining on the big stage 💫 #MCFC

— ManCityzens (@ManCityzenscom) February 26, 2020

The result immediately stands out as one of the Citizens' best UCL results, with Guardiola's trust in Jesus proving essential to their memorable comeback victory.

Aguero and the departing David Silva were among a heavily-stacked substitutes' bench and although there was plenty of surprise among critics pre-match, Pep's bold decisions ultimately paid off - further justification for why Jesus is ready to replace Aguero as a bonafide starter going forward.

The scary thing to realise is Jesus will only improve with age and further experience at the highest level. Yet to reach his prime years, he's already scoring goals at the Bernabeu and leading the line confidently in attack. With the attributes and importantly faith in his ability, there's no reason why he cannot establish himself as one of the world's best forwards and potentially eclipse Aguero's star-studded legacy in due course.