The Manchester City manager could hardly contain his excitement after his team crushed Crystal Palace 4-1 – and one player almost got all the attention!
Enzo Maresca admits that City struggled in the opening minutes at Selhurst Park, but that’s exactly why the victory tasted even sweeter. And the reason for the jubilation? Rayan Cherki – who was everywhere!
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– Difficult start – then City took over
“Probably the first five or ten minutes showed us just how demanding this was going to be,” Maresca admitted after the game.
“It’s a difficult pitch and the opponents are tough. But after ten minutes we took complete control – both with and without the ball. We really deserved to win this game.
And win, they did – with flying colors!
– Cherki show: Two goals, two assists, and defensive dominance
There was one man in particular who stole the spotlight: Rayan Cherki. The French’s two goals and two assists were enough to set the game on fire, but Maresca was just as impressed with the invisible work.
“His performance without the ball was unbelievable!” thundered Maresca.
“Everyone knows his qualities, but when he works so hard without the ball – he was simply the boss of Wharton. He controlled him completely.
“He’s helping us now, and he’s going to help us in the future. We know he’s a quality player, but today he was absolutely outstanding without the ball.
Marco Silva was decisive for João Palhinha’s choice
– Foden still getting used to – but Maresca has faith
It was also a night of mixed emotions for Phil Foden. He missed several big chances in the first half, but ended up with two assists.
Maresca was patient when talking about the winger, who clearly thrives best in a more central role.
“In the last ten or fifteen minutes, you could see that he was much happier when he played in behind Erling. That’s his position.
“He tries to adapt and help when he plays out on the wing. His work is good and he does it very well. But we know he is not a winger, we are trying to find a solution for him.
“His attitude is fantastic and that’s exactly what we need,” Maresca concluded with a smile.
One thing is for sure: City are in the flow zone, and Cherki is becoming an undisputed fan favourite!
