I never saw Messi do that — Guardiola reacts to Cherki assist against Sunderland

Rayan Cherki produced a spectacular rabona assist for Phil Foden to score City's third goal in the 3-0 win over Sunderland.

While the spectacular pass drew widespread praise, with former City captain Steph Houghton calling it the "assist of the season," Guardiola urged his French playmaker to prioritise simplicity over flair.

Cherki was the standout performer at a rain-swept Etihad Stadium as City capitalized on Arsenal's earlier defeat to Aston Villa. The 22-year-old set up the opening goal for Ruben Dias, who unleashed a powerful 30-yard strike. However, his second assist is what will be remembered most from the match.

After bamboozling Sunderland defender Trai Hume, Cherki executed a stunning rabona cross that found a charging Phil Foden, who headed the ball in off the crossbar to double City's lead.

"I worked for that," Cherki told BBC Match of the Day. "I know my quality is my technique. When I play with Phil [Foden], Erling [Haaland], and Omar [Marmoush], it's very important to provide them with good passes."

Despite the brilliance of the moment, Guardiola's post-match comments suggested a preference for a more pragmatic approach, drawing a comparison to the great Lionel Messi.

"I never saw Messi play a cross like he has done," Guardiola stated.

"Messi is the best player to play the game, but I never saw these kinds of crosses. Crosses are fine, whether with your right or left foot; it doesn't matter. If it is effective, it is fine, but I like simplicity because I learned from Messi that you never make a mistake with the simple things."

"The simple things he does perfectly, then he dribbles past four or five players. I want players to do the simple things well, and after that, you have special talent, and he can do whatever he wants. But if he doesn't work now, it will be a problem. He will be in trouble."

City's routine 3-0 win over the Black Cats significantly intensified the pressure on Arsenal. The Gunners' loss at Villa Park was only their second league defeat of the season, but could prove costly in the long run.