Manchester City have had a variety of brilliant wing partnerships over the years.
Under Manuel Pellegrini, David Silva and Samir Nasri — two players who were natural midfielders often played as a wing duo and provided an incredible level of control, technical quality and elegance to the side.
However, it was under Pep Guardiola where City have made the use of natural wingers the most.
Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane’s electric partnership during Manchester City’s legendary ‘Centurions’ season is one that entertained the masses due to their dribbling, pace, eye for goal, chance creation and directness.
However, in the following campaign, Guardiola employed Sterling alongside Bernardo Silva out wide for much of the campaign; which is perhaps the most balanced duo the club have ever had on the flanks due to the Englishman’s direct nature and the Portuguese international’s more risk-free approach.
From the 2018/2019 season onwards, there were several intriguing wide duos at the Etihad Stadium — featuring Sterling and Riyad Mahrez, Mahrez and Foden as well as Bernardo and Grealish as successful alliances on the flanks.
Next season, Savinho and Jeremy Doku could form a similarly brilliant partnership; reminiscent to that of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams for Spain at Euro 2024.
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Why Savinho and Jeremy Doku could be Man City’s Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams
For the Manchester City wing duo to have a similar dynamic as Yamal and Williams did, they will have to gel with each other on the pitch; a process that could take time.
However, judging both Savinho and Doku by their profiles, they are quite similar to the Spanish pair.
The Brazilian international, much like Yamal profiles as a creative winger.
While both Savinho and the Barcelona phenom are blessed with pace and the ability to beat defenders for fun, their chance creation is perhaps their standout feature.
Yamal’s clipped ball aimed towards the back post has become somewhat of his signature assist, much like Kevin De Bruyne’s crosses from the right-hand side up the pitch.
The former ESTAC Troyes winger lacks a type of pass that signifies how he primarily creates chances but simultaneously, he carves out chances for fun — ending up as La Liga’s joint second-highest assister (10) for Girona during his loan spell last season.
As per Squawka, the 20-year-old created an impressive 1.6 chances per game in La Liga last season as well.
As for Doku, while he is perhaps not as creative a winger as Williams is, who was tied with Alex Baena for registering the most assists (14) in the Spanish top-flight during the previous campaign, there are similarities between their playing styles.
The £55.5 million man, much like the Athletic Bilbao poster-child is a quintessential direct winger — known for bursting past defenders with his quick feet, frightening pace and fearlessness.
Both Doku and Williams always seem to back themselves to get the better of a full-back.
More often than not, they come out on top.
Another similarity that Doku and Williams share is that while primarily being left-wingers, they remain lethal weapons for any manager to have as right-wingers as well.
When Savinho and Doku start together for Manchester City, their contrasting profiles will be a nuisance for any defence to handle next season.
Both wingers will have expected to dribble, score goals and create chances.
However, as players, they are quite different; which is a key to any wing partnership’s success — as exemplified by Bernardo and Sterling’s success in tandem during the 2018/2019 season.
Manchester City supporters will likely be on the edges of their seats if all goes to plan — with Squawka revealing that Savinho (104) and Doku (96) completed the second and fifth most take-ons across Europe’s top five leagues last season.
It will be interesting to see how Pep Guardiola is planning to fit both wingers into his side.
But Guardiola will have a selection headache every manager dreams of when they wingers of the calibre of Savinho and Doku at their disposal.
If they manage to have the same chemistry as Yamal and Williams on the pitch, opposition defences have every reason to worried.
