Ranking The Premier League Club’s Reliance On Their Star Player: With Crocked Man City & Liverpool Strikers

Will Manchester City miss Sergio Aguero to the extend that Liverpool have missed Sergio Aguero…

Reports on BBC Sport confirm that Sergio Aguero is almost certainly out of Manchester City’s crucial Champions League match with Roma after injuring knee ligaments against Everton.

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The 26-year-old Argentine has scored 19 goals in all competitions so far this season, and has, at times, single-handedly won the Premier League champions points so far this season – strongly establishing himself as the club’s key player.

How will City manage without him? Comparisons can be drawn to Liverpool’s struggles so far this season, where the Reds have sorely missed Daniel Sturridge so far this year. But which Premier League team would cope best without their star player?

In the list below, we rank each of the division’s star players in order of their importance to the team – with the player in first the most crucial to his side’s chances:

20) Hull City – Andrew Robertson

Proved on international duty with Scotland last month why he’s a big name for the future. The left-back is young and could be an exceptional player.

19) Newcastle United – Ayoze Perez

The young Newcastle striker’s recent goal scoring form has elevated him to the status of ‘crucial player’ in a Newcastle squad short on big names. At 21 he could be the top striker United’s fans have been craving.

18) Queens Park Rangers – Steven Caulker

The young England international defender has struggled to live-up to his potential since leaving Tottenham 18 months ago, and needs to push on and help Rangers survive the drop.

17) West Ham United – Aaron Cresswell

West Ham have been very impressive this season, and perhaps the young left-back has been the most consistent performer, despite not grabbing the headlines.

16) Burnley – Danny Ings

The relegation-battlers don’t have a huge number of stand-out players, but the top prospect is surely young striker Danny Ings, who was crucial to last season’s promotion.

15) Leicester City – Kasper Schmeichel

The former Manchester City goalkeeper has been key to helping Leicester reach the Premier League, and it comes as a surprise to many that a so-called ‘big’ team has not come in for him.

14) West Bromwich Albion – Saido Berahino

The highly rated young striker, who remains the top scoring Englishman in the Premier League so far this season, will surely be a full England international in the near future.

13) Aston Villa – Fabian Delph

The young England midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season, and securing his future could be vital to Villa’s future.

12) Crystal Palace – Mile Jedinak

Not a name for the future admittedly, at 30 the Australian is in the twilight years of his career, but he has been excellent over the last 18 months.

11) Southampton – Morgan Schneiderlin

The much-admired French midfielder has been excellent this season, leading the Saints to second place in the Premier League table, despite their host of summer departures.

10) Sunderland – Lee Cattermole

The Black Cats leader and inspiration in midfield, he has matured since his youthful days, which were littered with red cards.

9) Stoke City – Ryan Shawcross

The long-serving but still youthful defender has been a key man for Stoke since their promotion to the Premier League, and perhaps deserved more recognition on the international stage.

8) Swansea City – Wilfried Bony

The giant Ivorian forward has been vital to the Swans continued success over the last 18 months, and has regularly scored vital goals for Gary Monk’s side.

7) Everton – Ross Barkley

Already one of the best young midfielders in the world and an England international who has featured at a World Cup. He will be key to Everton’s success for years to come.

6) Chelsea – Eden Hazard

The Belgian has the ability to become one of the best players on the planet – and he’s already among the contenders. The exceptional midfielder has many years left in him. But Chelsea have the squad depth to deal with his absence.

5) Tottenham Hotspur – Christian Eriksen

The talented Danish midfielder has shown his quality since his arrival in the summer of 2013, particularly with the dead ball. The consistency will come in time.

4) Manchester United – Wayne Rooney

A surprise choice perhaps, but a decade of service, an outstanding number of goals and the club captaincy has made Rooney the man club and country look to in a time of crisis. He’s not Ronaldo or Messi, but he’ll work his socks off for the cause.

3) Arsenal – Alexis Sanchez

The 25-year-old Chilean has made an instant impact in North London and could become one of the best players at the club in a decade.

2) Manchester City – Sergio Aguero

Yaya Toure’s decline this season has not been matched by City’s other star man, as the Argentine has continued to score goals for fun, even in an under-performing side.

1) Liverpool – Daniel Sturridge

It’s hard to tell who Liverpool miss more – Suarez or Sturridge. The Reds have certainly struggled without the England international, who has been out since the opening month of the campaign, and thrown his team’s plans into turmoil.

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