Rayan Ait-Nouri made his debut for Manchester City against Al Ain after failing to come off the bench in their 2-0 victory against Wydad AC at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The good news for the former Wolves defender is that Pep Guardiola’s men won 6-0 and sent a message to their rivals for the coveted trophy that they are ready to win the competition.
Rayan Ait-Nouri would have been delighted that he impressed on Monday, bombing down the left flank, dancing past players for fun and being a solid defensive presence at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Manchester City fans were full of praise for the Algerian after his sparkling display.
Man City fans rave about Rayan Ait-Nouri after he stars vs Al Ain
Considering Manchester City signed Ait-Nouri for £34 million, one fan pointed out that he looks like an absolute bargain after standing out against Al Ain: “We genuinely got the best left back in the league for £30 [odd] million without any competition. Rayan Ait-Nouri is incredible.”
A second supporter claimed City should pay an additional £100 million to Wolves because of how good the 24-year-old already looks: “Send an extra £100 million to Wolves. Rayan Ait-Nouri is a baller.”
A third Manchester City fan pinpointed that as brilliant as Nico O’Reilly is, Ait-Nouri is a breath of fresh air because he is a natural left-back: “Ait-Nouri is absolutely quality. I think O’Reilly is brilliant, and this is not a slight on him at all, but you can see that we’ve been crying out for that natural touchline hugging left-back when you compare their performances. Someone who’s played there all their life. The technical ability he has too – ridiculous. A joyous footballer. He’s gonna be an awful lot of fun at the Etihad.”
A fourth City supporter believes the Montreuil-born technician was the best player on the pitch, writing: “Man of the Match. One of the best games I’ve seen from a starter in his first game.”
A fifth fan is confident that Ait-Nouri will succeed and demanded that Manchester City target Tino Livramento is signed so the pair could form a fearsome full-back partnership: “He’s going to bring us a lot of joy. He’s one of the signings I’m most excited about and I hope they bring Livramento over.”
Finally, a sixth Manchester City fan was over the moon about Ait-Nouri’s arrival, writing: “Ait-Nouri ball feels like a breath of fresh air to watch. Beyond happy we invested in a real LB [left-back] with this much talent.”
All in all, the ex-Angers man has clearly wowed City supporters after his first outing.
Rayan Ait-Nouri stats for Man City vs Al Ain
Ait-Nouri certainly looked like the real deal against Al Ain and perhaps on another day, he could have grabbed either a goal or an assist for Manchester City.
The stats justify why the supporters are incredibly excited about his acquisition.
| RAYAN AIT-NOURI STATS VS AL AIN | |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 |
| DUELS WON | 8 |
| DRIBBLES COMPLETED | 4/6 (67%) |
| PASSES INTO THE FINAL THIRD | 4 |
| ACCURATE PASSES | 56/59 (95%) |
| TOUCHES IN OPPOSITION BOX | 7 |
Defensively, Ait-Nouri did not put a foot wrong against Al Ain, winning eight duels and not even being dribbled past once on his Manchester City debut.
While in possession, the City new-boy completed four dribbles, made four passes into the final third, took seven touches in the opposition box and misplaced just three out of his 59 passes.
