Pep Guardiola claims Jeremy Doku is one of the best player on the earth ‘in the primary five metres’ after Manchester City’s 2-1 win against Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
City have strengthened their grip on a Champions League spot as Matheus Nunes’ goal in injury time sealed a last-gasp victory for Guardiola’s side on the Etihad Stadium.
City had taken the lead through Bernardo Silva’s goal within the seven minute but Villa pulled level before the break with Marcus Rashford’s penalty.
The sport appeared on the right track to complete as a draw but Doku, who was introduced as a second-half substitute, burst past Axel Disasi on City’s left flank before bending a cross with the skin of his foot across Villa’s box for Cunha to complete from a narrow angle on the back post.
Doku has struggled for enjoying time in recent weeks, starting just one among City’s five Premier League games this month.
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But Guardiola insists the Belgium international, who was signed from Rennes in a £55.5 million deal in August 2023, offers a ‘unique’ threat in City’s attack.
‘Jeremy all the time gives you something, for the gang, we modified the sport,’ Guardiola said after City beat Villa.
‘In the primary three or 4 actions [against] Disasi and Malen, he couldn’t do the motion.
‘But in the long run… for me, Jeremy is one of the best player on the earth in the primary metres. In the primary five metres he’s unstoppable.’
Guardiola also explained that Doku has been benched for City’s last 4 matches because he has opted to play his full-backs in a wider position.
‘No, he’s not played as a winger because now, these days, I’m open with the full-backs, that’s the explanation why,’ Guardiola explained.
‘Within the moment he’ll learn to play inside because if I feel he has qualities to do it, he’ll play inside.
‘For nine years, I’ve all the time played with wingers high and wide, one against one, but these days for the explanations, for stability, possibly we’d like more control or whatever, we play with the full-backs wide, that’s why he’s playing less, but not because he’s playing bad.
‘He has to enhance, he has improved quite a bit and he’ll improve.
‘I’ve all the time said, within the moment he makes the motion with one speed, when the moment you make the choice you will have to cut back the speed. You can’t make one against one [at speed], within the moment within the pass you will have to be relaxed, you will have to see, otherwise the cross is just not good and we’re not going to attain a goal.
‘He’s so young, he has something unique, unique by way of speed.’
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