A compliment worth all the gold in the world. Author of two assists with Manchester City against Sunderland (3-0), including a genius offering with a scarf for Phil Foden’s goal, Rayan Cherki received a real standing ovation from the Etihad Stadium when he was released this Saturday.
Better yet, the 22-year-old French international (4 caps, 1 goal) was showered with praise by Pep Guardiola at a press conference. And the Spanish coach did not hesitate to refer to one of his former protégés from FC Barcelona to talk about the player trained at Olympique Lyonnais.
“He has an unusual personality”
“Rayan is an exceptional player,” said the six-time English champion with Manchester City. He is so young, he has an extraordinary personality. His scarf trick? I’ve never seen Messi cross like that, Messi is the best player of all time, but I’ve never seen crosses like that. »
A comparison which is unlikely to make Rayan Cherki lose confidence. Since his arrival at the Skyblues last summer, the 2024 Olympic runner-up has already scored 4 goals and 7 assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.
“I worked hard for this,” he told the BBC. I know my asset, my technique, and when I play with Phil (Foden), Erling (Haaland) and Omar (Marmoush), it is very important to make good passes to them. »
Thanks to its two offerings, Manchester City returns to just two points behind leader Arsenal, beaten earlier in the day by Aston Villa (2-1). The attacking midfielder will have a great opportunity to shine again on Wednesday, with a major trip to Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid in the Champions League.
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