Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero says Leicester City counterpart Jamie Vardy is worthy of the praise coming his way this season as the sides prepare to meet in Saturday's top-of-the-table Premier League clash.
Surprise leaders Leicester travel to the Etihad Stadium three points clear of Manuel Pellegrini's men, with Vardy leading the scoring charts after taking his league tally to 18 thanks to a fine brace against Liverpool in midweek.
Aguero has managed 13 amid an injury-affected season and is in fine form - boasting six goals in his last five games across all competitions.
This weekend's meeting could well be decided by either Aguero or Vardy and the Argentinean lauded the England international's impressive campaign.
"When a striker scores as many goals as he has and so consistently, it speaks for itself," Aguero told his club's official website.
"He's always on the prowl, has a scent for goals and a lot of precision in front of goal. He is having a fantastic season and deserves all the praise he's been getting."
While Chelsea and Manchester United failing to mount a consistent title challenge this term, Pellegrini's charges and Arsenal have endured inconsistent spells as Leicester have maintained their impressive campaign under Claudio Ranieri.
"I've been known to say that the Premier League was one of the most competitive tournaments in the world," Aguero added. "And I have no doubt that it's the most competitive of them all.
"Is there any other league out there with so many teams vying for the top position? It's just uncanny. They say that major teams are inconsistent but I say the opposite - there's a lot of consistency.
"It's just harder because there are some brilliant teams out there and we are all playing to win.
"The knock-on effect is that it causes the best players to be motivated to join the Premier League and that's why we see teams performing increasingly well.
"We have such a beautiful tournament in England where everyone can fight with equal standing. Leicester City are a prime example of this and they are where they are on merit and nothing less."
