Now or never for Wilfried Bony to prove his worth to Manchester City in Sergio Aguero’s absence

Wilfried Bony has the chance to prove his worth to Manchester City by stepping into the breach in Sergio Aguero's absence, writes Richard Jolly.

Manchester City's Wilfried Bony takes part in training ahead of the Premier League clash with Bournemouth. Sharon Latham / AP Images

The contrast is stark. Manchester City have to replace a striker who scored five goals in 20 minutes with one who has struck twice in nine months. They may be going from the unstoppable to the ineffectual, from the brilliant to the barren.

They are going from Sergio Aguero to Wilfried Bony. The Argentine’s deputy assumes central proportions for at least a month, including next week’s Manchester derby and the Uefa Champions League double header with Sevilla.

City’s fortunes rest in the hands of an ill-fated fringe figure, courtesy of the Argentine’s hamstring injury.

His last contribution in a City shirt was to record the quickest quintet in Premier League history, scoring five times in a rapid burst against Newcastle United two weeks ago. And then Aguero came off, to be replaced by Bony who, for the 17th time in 19 appearances in a City shirt, failed to find the net.

“I’ve had nothing but bad luck over the last year,” Bony said. “It’s been the worst spell of my career without question.”

Now his record is starting to take on similarities with the sold Edin Dzeko’s, but with two differences: the Bosnian had been prolific before his City career ended with a run of just two goals in 23 games and the Ivorian, unlike the older target man, was invariably a substitute.

He could make just his sixth start in a City shirt against Bournemouth today. His has been a stop-start City career, interrupted by injuries and international duty.

Indeed, he won the African Cup of Nations before he had debuted for his new club. A player who seemed indestructible at Swansea City has been sidelined by a sprained ankle, a cut foot and a change in tactics.

Whereas Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo benefited from manager Manuel Pellegrini’s fondness for a 4-4-2 formation. Soon after Bony joined, he was persuaded of the merits of 4-2-3-1.

Instead of being Aguero’s sidekick, Bony became his rival. Or, more accurately, his understudy.

The shifting shape of City’s squad means that strikers have exited and attacking midfielders arrived. It means Bony may have the best supply line in England, but alternatives to him are few and far between, and the 18-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho is ineligible to play in Europe.

Bony’s chance also amounts to a huge responsibility. City suddenly look reliant on a bit-part player.

“He is a very good striker, but he has very bad luck here,” Pellegrini said. “He arrives in January, immediately he goes to the Africa Cup.

“He comes back, he has a problem with his knee and last season he could not demonstrate what he can do.”

Pellegrini invariably insists that he does not use the absence of injured players as an excuse if his side stumble.

Given their £160 million (Dh907.6m) outlay in the summer, some suggest he cannot.

Bournemouth – who have lost top scorer Callum Wilson, captain Tommy Elphick and two biggest buys Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel – may merit rather more sympathy.

Yet mitigating circumstances do exist now at the Etihad Stadium with Aguero, much City’s most potent finisher, hurt and then David Silva, their creator in chief, injured the following day, neither while representing his club.

The strength of his squad means reserves come with plenty of pedigree. Bony was the Premier League’s top scorer in the calendar year of 2014.

He cost an initial £25m. Now it is time to justify that outlay and offer reminders of why he was so productive for Swansea.

“I trust a lot in Bony,” Pellegrini said. “I am sure now will demonstrate why he is here.”

That is the task. “Hopefully the City fans will now see the new Bony,” the striker said.

Or, indeed, the old one, who was so prolific against Swansea and gave Vincent Kompany so much trouble that City signed him.

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