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AFCON 2025
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Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki discussed the impact Pep Guardiola has had in his short Manchester City spell.
Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki has credited Pep Guardiola for creating a clearer picture of football for him and making his game simpler.
The 22-year-old joined the Cityzens in the summer as a £34 million attacking midfield signing. He joined as an elite playmaker with lots of flair, leading certain sections to worry that Pep would coach flamboyance out of his game.
Guardiola lent credence to those concerns with some of his post-match comments in games Cherki performed exceptionally well in, highlighting his low defensive contribution and unnecessary extravagance.
What Cherki said
In a recent interview with the club’s website, Cherki appears to be having a swell time being coached by the Spanish tactician, explaining that he had a similar game idea as Pep before crediting the former Bayern coach for helping to simplify his approach.
“It’s the intensity he puts into football every day. It’s really incredible to see all the energy he has for the sport,” he said about Pep. “It’s really impressive to see the high energy and the emotional intensity he brings to his work on a daily basis.
“Pep has always been my vision of football. Ever since I entered the professional world, Pep has always been the vision of football that I had in my head, that I wanted to play. So obviously, when I came here, everything became clearer for me, everything became simpler for me, and I think it’s the perfect combination.”
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Describing his game style, Cherki admitted to prioritising aesthetics; however, he added that he liked to be efficient.
“If I had to describe my game, I like beautiful things. I love football,” he said. “I like to see it with emotion. I like my teammates to enjoy themselves. I like to be effective.
“It’s all about being effective and to give pleasure to my team-mates, to give pleasure to the fans. Not all lives are easy and when the fans come to the stadium, it’s to enjoy 90 minutes of pure pleasure and forget everything.
“And that’s what I’m here for, but at the same time I want to be effective. That’s the objective.” Cherki has indeed been effective. He currently leads the Premier League in assists (7), expected assists (4.42), and big chances created (12).