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Aguero gets Pellegrini's Ballon d'Or backing

Reuters

MANCHESTER - Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Sergio Aguero must be a candidate for the FIFA Ballon d'Or world player of the year award if he can stay fit.

The Argentina striker, 26, scored all four goals, converting two of his three penalties, as Premier League champions City beat Tottenham 4-1 at Eastlands on Saturday to remain five points behind leaders Chelsea.

Aguero's performance was truly fit for a king, with Juan Carlos, the former monarch of Spain, among the crowd after being invited by Blues chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak.

It also saw him become City's all-time top-scorer in the Premier League with 61 goals in 95 appearances since his £38 million ($61 million, 48 million euros) move from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

The forward was hampered by a series of injuries last season that contributed to him only starting 20 of City's 38 league games.

He still managed 17 league goals but is already almost halfway to that figure after taking his total for the current campaign to nine with his impressive performance against Spurs.

Pellegrini thinks that if Aguero can remain at peak condition he has a good chance of being named as the best footballer in the world.

"I'm not talking because he scored four goals (against Tottenham)," Pellegrini explained.

"I don't expect him to score four in every game. I've known him for a lot of years, I know his career in Argentina, Spain and here in England and that's why I said he's one of the most important strikers in the world," the Chilean added.

"When he is 100 percent fit he will demonstrate everything. He is one of the top three or four strikers in the world.

"It wasn't easy for him last year with so many injuries but now he is working very well."

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