The Manchester City form is superb at the moment. After the setback in the FA Community Shield, the Cityzens have won five consecutive matches across all competitions. The Manchester City form has seen them beat their city rivals Manchester United 1-0 while playing more than 70 minutes with 10 men. However, their victories have not been very smooth. The Manchester City form has seen them win a few close matches, and it is evident that a crucial piece in the jigsaw puzzle is missing for them.
How Jeremy Doku Could Further Improve The Manchester City Form?
Jeremy Doku has played in 132 matches for the Cityzens, as he enters his fourth season with the club. He has scored 22 goals and registered 24 assists for the Cityzens so far and has won the Premier League title once, as well as an FA Cup and a Carabao Cup.
Doku is only 24 and is approaching the prime of his career as a footballer. Doku’s pace with the ball and dribbling skills make him one of the most dangerous wingers in world football. In Doku’s absence, Iliman Ndiaye has not been able to do much to exert his influence, and Phil Foden has not played often enough, having seen the red card against Manchester United.
The Cityzens no longer have Rodri and Bernardo Silva in their double-pivot, who were well-versed with Pep Guardiola’s coaching style and therefore had the habit of exchanging short passes with the forwards inside the opposition half and thereby helping Manchester City retain possession.
That no longer happens with Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez in the double-pivot. Anderson stays deep for the majority of the time, and Fernandez’s runs into the final third are mainly to play final passes to the forwards to finish a move or to take shots at the opposition goal. As a result, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland are often getting isolated in the final third. They are primarily dependent on the wingers to play crosses from the flanks, and even if the cross arrives, they find themselves crowded by opposition defenders.
As a result, the Cityzens have not looked threatening often enough despite the Manchester City form being really good on paper. Ideally, they should have the wingers in proximity to the centre-forward and the number 10. This is where Doku is very important for the team. The Belgian winger has a tendency to frequently cut inside from the flanks, with his dribbling ability typically engaging the full-back and one of the centre-backs. That eases the pressure on Haaland and Cherki a great deal, and this is very important to improve the Manchester City form.
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Extra Time Notes
Doku is still nursing a calf injury, which means that he might not be fit for this weekend’s match against Sunderland. However, if he is available, it will help Manchester City a lot, as Foden will also not be available for the match because of his suspension. Ndiaye will take some time to adjust to the team’s playing style and hence, the sooner Doku returns, the better it will be to improve the Manchester City form. Enzo Maresca will be hoping for the Belgian’s quick return to action.
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