As Manchester City wonderkid Jeremy Doku starred against West Ham United, he seemed to have broken a common pattern under Pep Guardiola.
How Jeremy Doku proved against West Ham that he is unlike any new winger Pep Guardiola has signed at Manchester City
That pattern is of brand-new wingers brought in at City that struggle to get to grips with Guardiola’s system in their debut seasons.
Jack Grealish was the most recent example of this phenomenon, with Bernardo Silva advising him back in December to stay patient due to the challenges of adapting to the Spaniard’s demands.
However, against West Ham, Manchester City new-boy Jeremy Doku stole the show.
Despite some worries around the £55.5 million (Sky Sports) man’s historic lack of end product, he got on the scoresheet and in style by toying with Vladimir Coufal before slotting the ball into the back of the net to level the scores for City.
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But aside from his goal against West Ham, Jeremy Doku looked like an instant fit in this Manchester City side, leaving defenders for dead, making smart runs in behind and linking play exceptionally well.
The 21-year-old, branded as ‘exceptional’ by Txiki Begiristain (via Manchester City’s official website) showcased a perfect understanding of when to take on his man and when to retain possession.
The same cannot be said for one of the greatest wingers in Premier League history in Riyad Mahrez, whose decision-making in particular left a lot to be desired initially after his move from Leicester City in 2018.
Similarly, Bernardo Silva, who is an absolute fan favourite at the Etihad Stadium was far too predictable out wide and vanished in and out of games during his debut season at City.
While Leroy Sane showed exciting signs in his debut season at a similar age to the Belgian, the latter proved against West Ham that he could take Jack Grealish’s spot in this Manchester City side.
Such a statement could not have been made for Sane, especially in terms of starting over one of the most key cogs in the club’s greatest accolades.
But it is this very instant readiness that makes Doku such an exciting prospect at City.