Match Report: City Rely on Unstoppable Agüero to Save Point at QPR

For just the second time this season, Manchester City started with a centre-back pairing of Martín Demichelis and Eliaquim Mangala, with captain and key defender Vincent Kompany missing the trip to QPR through injur. The lack of leadership and composure at the back was telling. After a disappointing midweek Champions League defeat at home to CSKA Moscow, many tipped the Premier League title holders to bounce back with victory at Loftus Road. Sergio Agüero was the player City relied on once again and, fortunately for them, he did not disappoint.

The visitors were stunned after 21 minutes as Charlie Austin kept his cool to put QPR in front. With Roy Hodgson in attendance, Austin did his England chances no harm and his goal, coming after 2 disallowed efforts, put him on 6 in the league for the season. Only Saido Berahino (7), who was called up to Hodgson's latest squad, has netted more of all English players. Not to be outdone, Agüero then pulled City level having exquisitely brought down Mangala's long ball up field, before firing past Rob Green.

Demichelis inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to put QPR back in front with 15 minutes remaining, but Agüero was on hand to equalise for City once more having shown superb composure in the penalty area after Green went to ground. His second goal of the match took his league tally to 16 in 2014; no player has scored more in the Premier League this calender year.

City's performance was perhaps symbolic of a team that has become overreliant on its stand out stars. With David Silva sidelined, the onus is on Agüero to drag the team through its current mire. Yaya Touré has looked off the pace after a stunning 2013/14 last season, while the team looked lost at the back in the absence of Kompany. With City lacking direction, Agüero needed to lead from the front and he did so with aplomb, attaining a rating of 9.31, securing him WhoScored's man of the match award in the process.

The star striker has now scored 12 of City's 22 league goals this season and if he is not performing to his best, the Citizens struggle to impose themselves on the opposition - the 2-1 defeat to CSKA on Wednesday a case in point. Saturday's draw with QPR now means City have won just 1 of their last 6 in all competitions and that 1 victory - a 1-0 home win over Manchester United - came courtesy of Agüero. The term 'Messidependencia' was coined due to Barcelona's reliance on Lionel Messi to haul the team to victory. City now have their own equivalent in Agüero.

If City relied on the performance of one individual to secure a positive result, the same cannot be said of QPR, who worked tirelessly and collectively to pick up a point. The R's made more tackles (21 to City's 15) in what was a spirited display from Harry Redknapp's side. They need to turn Loftus Road into a fortress if they are to stave off relegation this season and 8 points from a possible 15 from their last 5 home games, including 4 from a potential 6 in the last 2, is exactly the form they need to survive.

In fact, had it not been for 3 impressive Joe Hart saves, QPR could easily have secured 3 points, with Redknapp admitting he thought his side could have gone on to win the match when they went 2-1 up. Agüero, though, was the focus for both managers and deservedly so. "(Sergio) Agüero is the best player in the Premier League, now that (Luis) Suarez has gone (to Barcelona),” Redknapp added in his post match press conference and City's highest rated player (7.87) on WhoScored is clearly at the peak of his game.

“He's very important to us,” City boss Manuel Pellegrini added of Agüero after the fixture and while that is the case, the defending champions must learn to become less reliant on the Premier League's top goalscorer if they are to close the 8-point gap between themselves and current league leaders and title favourites Chelsea.

Do you think Manchester City are relying too much of Sergio Agüero? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below