Two players did what was required off the bench for Manchester City at the Etihad
· Yahoo Sports
There were plenty of positives to come out of last night’s 2-1 win over Newcastle for Manchester City. Nico O’Reilly’s rise continued as he scored a vital brace to help his team pick up an important win. Erling Haaland gave everything to the cause as he worked himself into the floor to do whatever his team required at the Etihad. Rodri continued his resurgence which could be massive at the back end of this season. There were two other positives to come out of last night’s win for Manchester City. Those were the performances off the bench of Abdukodir Khusanov and Rayan Cherki for vastly different reasons.
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Abdukodir Khusanov played a crucial role for Manchester City against Newcastle in the second half.
Throughout the first half of last night’s match, Newcastle’s pace on the break was a constant threat to Manchester City. Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon were a constant threat when they were released in behind Manchester City’s high defensive line. Ruben Dias entered halftime on a yellow card as he and Marc Guéhi were tested by Gordon and Elanga. Abdukodir Khusanov replaced Ruben Dias at the interval, and he put in another impressive display under pressure.
Abdukodir Khusanov helped contain the threat and pace of Newcastle. Khusanov’s recovery pace is a strong asset of his play, as is his ability to read the play and snuff out danger. We saw this across the second half. Also, as Newcastle had more possession in the second half, City sat deeper and kept Eddie Howe’s team out. Khusanov, alongside his teammates, played a key role in City’s defensive resolution and eventual victory last night.
Rayan Cherki appeared unfazed by the pressure of the occasion last night.
Omar Marmoushwas replaced by Rayan Cherki just before the hour mark last night. It did seem that Pep Guardiola had hoped that by bringing on the French internationalhe could provide a match-sealing moment and help Pep Guardiola’s side gain control of last night’s match. Cherki almost set up a goal for Antoine Semenyo, and he did help City maintain possession when he got on the ball. But there was one aspect of Cherki’s performance that stood out.
Rayan Cherki seemed unfazed by the situation of last night’s match. Manchester City had to win to get within two points of Arsenal and heap pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side that looks to be struggling. It was a tense and nervous night at the Etihad last night. But you didn’t sense that Cherki was fazed by this. There was a sense of calm in the French international, and he did bring that onto the pitch. That was impressive and speaks volumes about Cherki’s poise to handle a big moment.
Final thoughts.
The performances off the bench from Abdukodir Khusanov and Rayan Cherki did catch the eye for Manchester City against Newcastle last night, albeit for vastly different reasons. Pep Guardiola’s side will need contributions from everyone to achieve their goals this season. Cherki and Khusanov showed last night that the occasion and pressure that lies ahead may not faze them, which could be massive in the run home.