It seems like Manchester City have their own version of Cristhian Mosquera, who already looks like one of the best young defenders in the Premier League after signing for Arsenal in the summer.
Mosquera, who Arsenal signed from Valencia for £13 million (ESPN) has impressed against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest — ably replacing William Saliba in the centre of the Gunners’ defence.
Considering Manchester City have already leaked four goals in their first Premier League games this campaign, it is clear to see that their defence has plenty of room for improvement.
However, it looks like Pep Guardiola may have an elite defensive prospect on his hands, much like the Spaniard.
Abdukodir Khusanov is Manchester City’s Cristhian Mosquera
The man in question is Abdukodir Khusanov, who bears similarities to Mosquera in terms of his sky-high potential and against Manchester United, he was one of the best players on the pitch.
As far as the comparisons to the Alicante-born colossus are concerned, the former RC Lens gem is also 21, comfortable in possession while being an old-school centre-back who takes pride in his defending.
Mosquera looks like a bargain at £13 million and the same can be said about Manchester City’s £33.8 million investment towards signing Khusanov, who has largely been flawless since his time in England.
Khusanov can do a job as a right-back and against Manchester United, he managed to keep Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo quiet despite playing in an unnatural position.
The Uzbek international was an impregnable presence at the back, as United found it impossible to bypass him due to the youngster’s incredible pace and his willingness to get stuck in.
The Tashkent-born wonderkid always seemed aware of the danger Manchester United pose by going long and targeting the space behind City’s defence.
The same can be said for Mosquera, whose spatial awareness stood out against Forest as he bullied the visitors’ attack and looked cool as ice on the ball; as it seems like in Khusanov, City have a defender who is similarly gifted to him.
Khusanov stats compared to Mosquera on the weekend
Playing against Manchester United in a Manchester Derby can be considered a tougher test than playing against a Nottingham Forest side, with Ange Postecoglou managing them for the very first time.
However, both Khusanov and Mosquera impressed for their respective sides, as the stats suggest.
| STATS | MOSQUERA VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST | KHUSANOV VS MAN UNITED |
| DUELS WON | 3/4 (75%) | 5/10 (50%) |
| TACKLES | 2 | 2 |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 | 1 |
| CLEARANCES | 4 | 6 |
| ACCURATE PASSES | 75/82 (91%) | 32/41 (78%) |
| PASSES INTO FINAL THIRD | 4 | 3 |
Based on the numbers, Mosquera virtually outperformed Khusanov in almost every regard.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the latter played in an unnatural position and that too in a far more high-pressure game.
