Riyad Mahrez has a strong case for being one of the most entertaining wingers in Premier League history.
Gary Lineker described Mahrez as a “beautiful footballer” and it is tough to disagree with the retired striker’s description of the Algerian.
The former Manchester City wideman was a joy to watch, as he was blessed with a sublime first touch, a wand of a left foot, a knack for dancing past defenders for fun and a habit of scoring incredible goals.
Cole Palmer admitted he studied Mahrez’s game, which highlights how tremendous a player he was.
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Riyad Mahrez reveals Pep Guardiola gave every Man City player defined instructions
Since his time at Leicester City, Riyad Mahrez went from being a relatively unknown commodity in English football to one of the best players in world football.
So much so that Manchester City decided to bolster their squad that accumulated a record 100 points in 2018 by signing the Al-Ahli forward.
When quizzed about whether Pep Guardiola limited his freedom, Mahrez told Canal Sport Afrique that the manager instructed every Manchester City player to follow his tactical instructions: “That’s what people say, but at City, we were a team. Everyone has to stay in the right place, the ball will arrive, movements will develop, and if you didn’t play [as per his plan] – another one will take your place and do the job.”
Mahrez revealed he enjoyed playing under Guardiola and he went on to add: “Competition [in the squad] was really, really strong and the coach took advantage of it. He was really good at it [in terms of using his City squad].”
Mahrez’s record under Pep Guardiola at Man City
Ultimately, it seems like the five-time Premier League winner seemingly took the Catalan tactician’s instructions on board from day one.
The mark of an elite player is to adapt their game and the former Leicester attacker proved he can do so by adjusting his game to the two-time treble-winning manager’s demands.
The numbers reflect that under Pep Guardiola, Mahrez was a force to be reckoned with.
| RIYAD MAHREZ’S RECORD UNDER PEP GUARDIOLA AT MANCHESTER CITY | |
| MATCHES | 236 |
| GOALS | 78 |
| ASSISTS | 59 |
| GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS | 137 |
The decorated technician managed to register an impressive 137 goal contributions in 236 games for Manchester City, which sums up the fact that Guardiola got the best out of him.
Mahrez may have been underrated at Manchester City but his body of work at the Etihad Stadium speaks for itself.
