Why does Pep care about Riyad Mahrez?You can tell by watching the match against Tottenham.
Riyad Mahrez showed why he was appointed.
Manchester City came from behind to win 4-2 in the seventh round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2022-23 season against Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, at 5 a.m. on the 19th. As a result, Manchester City remained in second place in the league with 42 points, while Tottenham remained in fifth place with 33 points.
Manchester City, which continued to attack in the first half, could not finish and swallowed its disappointment. In the 44th minute of the first half, Dejan Kulusevsky lost a point in Ederson’s mistake and was dragged 0-1. Emerson Royal also gave up a run and finished the first half 0-2. Manchester City turned a new leaf from the start of the second half after losing two runs. He put all his energy into the attack and drove Tottenham into a corner.
At the center was Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez advanced on the flanks, unlike his central-oriented colleagues. When he received a pass, he drove the ball into the center quickly. He created opportunities by winning all competitions with Ivan Perisic. With Mahrez, Manchester City was able to attack in a variety of ways. Mahrez scored an attacking point two minutes after Julian Alvarez’s goal, helping Elling Holland equalize.
He scored a come-from-behind goal. In the 18th minute of the second half, he received a Rodri pass and scored. Penetration stood out at the right time. Since then, he has continued to cross and shoot at the same time, leading Tottenham’s defense collapse and leading Manchester City’s flow. In the 45th minute of the second half, he pressured Clement Langley to create a one-on-one opportunity and shook Tottenham’s net by piercing Hugo Lloris. With two goals and one assist, Manchester City were able to win 4-2.
Mahrez’s other record as well as the offensive points stood out. Riyad Mahrez had four shots (two effective shots), three key passes, one dribble success, three violations, and 12 cross attempts (three successes). It can be said that it destroyed the side and played the role of a spearhead of the attack 100%. Britain’s “Manchester Evening News” gave a rating of 9 points to highlight Mahrez’s performance. The soccer statistics media ‘Huscoed Dotcom’ gave the highest rating of 9.5 points.
Mahrez has scored seven goals in eight games since resuming. Criticism was also focused on Pep Guardiola, who uses Mahrez due to his uneven form, but Mahrez is proving through records that the right-hand position of Manchester City is his. Mahrez is an important part of the flank attack tactics. Just as he continued to be a moderate, Mahrez is expected to be favored by Guardiola in the future.