The landmark goal came in Aguero's 264th appearance for City since his £38million move from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

Aguero drew level with Brook when he scored a penalty against Burnley last month. He then failed to register in the Carabao Cup victory over Wolves last week and was left on the bench for the Premier League leaders' defeat of West Brom on Saturday.

The record-breaking goal came on a dramatic night at the San Paolo Stadium in Italy, putting City into a 3-2 lead in a compelling encounter. He raced clear and thumped a shot into the bottom corner after a Leroy Sane breakaway had been partially halted.

It was also Aguero's ninth goal of the season and his second since returning to the side after a spell out with a broken rib sustained in a car crash.

Aguero has maintained a prolific scoring rate since netting twice on debut against Swansea six years ago.

His tally includes 10 hat-tricks and his most famous City goal was his 30th - the dramatic last-gasp strike to clinch the Premier League title in 2012.

Aside from netting just 17 times in the underwhelming 2012-13 campaign, Aguero has scored at least 28 goals in each of his six full seasons at the Etihad Stadium.

The man he replaces as City's leading goalscorer, Brook, scored his 177 in 450 appearances between 1927 and 1939.

He also scored a 178th for the club in the opening match of the 1939-40 season but that was expunged from the records when League football was cancelled following the outbreak of war.

Brook was principally an outside left but was also comfortable playing centre forward and won 18 caps for England. He was forced to retire after suffering a fractured skull in a car crash while travelling to play a wartime international against Scotland in Newcastle in December 1939.