Rayan Cherki, against Leeds United for Manchester City, helped the visitors win their Premier League match 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday, February 28. The win propelled Manchester City to 59 points from 28 matches, and they kept the pressure on Arsenal.
Antoine Semenyo scored his sixth goal in a Manchester City shirt as Erling Haaland did not play, but it was the Rayan Cherki against Leeds stood out for for the visitors. The 22-year-old French midfielder helped the Cityzens earn three points with his left foot.
Rayan Cherki Against Leeds
Rayan Cherki against Leeds produced another good performance for the Cityzens this season. Cherki has nine goals and eight assists this season from 34 matches. He did not score a goal or register an assist on Saturday, but his pass set Rayan Ait-Nouri free in the final third before the latter played a cross for Semenyo to score.
The Leeds vs Man City match began with a forceful show from Leeds, whose high-press made it difficult for the Cityzens’ defence. There were a number of attacks down the right side to keep Ait-Nouri busy.
City started the match with a 4-2-2-2 formation. There was no left-winger and hence, there was nobody to give cover to Ait-Nouri through the left side of their defence. However, as Nico O’Reilly started coming to Ait-Nouri’s aid more often, the attacks through the left side of the Cityzens’ defence could be contained.
Pep Guardiola’s men lacked width in attack initially, which was then provided by the overlapping full-backs, Matheus Nunes and Ait-Nouri. The first half an hour belonged to Leeds, but Manchester City came back into the match thereafter by starting to play with a high defensive line and throwing numbers upfront to squeeze Leeds’ defence.
It was here Rayan Cherki, against Leeds, came to the fore. The centre of the pitch was cluttered with City playing a box midfield. As Bernardo Silva and Rodri operated deep, it was left to Cherki to provide the creative spark. His moment of inspiration saved the day, as he combined brilliantly by playing a one-two with Ait-Nouri to paved the way for Manchester City’s goal.
The Cityzens slowed down the tempo of the game in the second half and switched to a back-five later to ensure that there was no difficulty in earning the three points. It was a difficult visit to Elland Road, in which the Rayan Ait-Nouri performance helped them immensely in the Leeds vs Man City clash.
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Difficult Matches in Cup Competitions Coming up for the Cityzens
After three points gained in the Leeds vs Man City Premier League fixture, Pep Guardiola’s men face Newcastle United next in the FA Cup before locking horns with Real Madrid in a much-awaited UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. They will also play against West Ham United and Crystal Palace this month in the Premier League in the next few weeks.
Every match is of paramount importance for Guardiola’s men now. They cannot afford any slip-ups in the Premier League at all. Guardiola will have to rotate his players, keeping the multiple competitions in mind. However, Rayan Cherki against Leeds produced a performance that will keep the Spaniard happy.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage
Recording Date: 28.02.2026
