CAN RIYAD MAHREZ BECOME A REVELATION FOR MAN CITY?
Manchester City is considered one of the elite teams in Europe and rightly so as Pep Guardiola has built a well-oiled machine capable of destroying teams. With an array of quality players across the pitch, Man City have one of the deepest squad in Europe.
His signing was met with surprise among fans with many believing that City had enough players on the wings with Sterling, Sane, Bernando Silva and Gabriel Jesus capable of playing the role. However Guardiola wanted a different type of threat on the wing. Sterling does not have the best control, and his dribbling is predictable. Sane is more dynamic but depends on space to beat his man most times.
With Mahrez, Guardiola wanted a player that could dribble in tight corners and had the ability to be unpredictable.Mahrez despite his struggles showed during the last game of the season against Brighton what he could do when given time and space.
This season is a pivotal season for him as most Guardiola signings at the club tend to get better in the second season. Sane and Bernando Silva are two examples of two players that struggled in their first season but became better in subsequent seasons.
Looking at his performances the Algeria captain appears to be on the path to playing consistently and has three assists already. The injury to Sane is also a blessing in disguise as Mahrez has the first quarter of the season to stake his claim for a starting berth. Manchester City fans will be hoping that the winger is able to find the form that saw him win the PFA player of the year in 2015.