Pep Guardiola praised Jeremy Doku for his early work for Manchester City.
Today, when Nottingham Forest visits the Etihad Stadium, the winger might make his third Premier League debut for the Citizens.
Doku has received high praise from his manager and has even been compared to some of City’s former wingers after scoring his first goal for the team in the 3-1 victory over West Ham United last weekend.
Guardiola hails the early impact of Doku
Guardiola recently discussed Doku and what he brings the squad in compared to past wide options in his press conference prior to today’s game against Forest.
“The wingers we had in the past were the type of wingers with incredible skill and quality, but not with the pace that we had with Leroy [Sane] and Raheem [Sterling],” he remarked.
“In the past, we lacked it. Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish have all since moved on to Chelsea. Of course, they are speedy, but intelligence is more important than speed. Their capacity to compete one on one.
“But this explosive that Jeremy has in five or six metres is extremely similar to what Leroy and Raheem had before. He’s performed incredibly well. At Rennes, he’s not used to playing three games a week.
“In the past, you have to be cautious and watch how he recovers [after] the game, the effort and 90 minutes, and essentially three days [later] if he is able to play again. You must be acquainted. Although he must be aware of his body, he has adapted very well. He’s a great guy, and he excels as a winger in the last third. He was an attempt at that.
Following the departures of Mahrez and Palmer, City just spent £55 million to acquire the Belgian from Rennes.
Doku has made 11 carries into the penalty area in his two Premier League games this season against Fulham and West Ham, more than any other City player.
This demonstrates his offensive potential and his ability to be aggressive when the ball is at his feet.
In light of this afternoon’s game against Forest, the attacker may get another chance to showcase his skills and demonstrate why the club was wise to spend so much money to sign him.
If Doku can match the attacking brilliance that players like Sane and Sterling, who scored a combined total of 170 goals between them at City, provided in terms of goals and assists, he’ll surely be considered as a highly successful addition.