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Cherki has made his name as one of Man City’s best players since joining from Lyon last summer
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France international has impressed in City’s recent wins vs Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea
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Man City face Arsenal on Sunday; Cherki admirers have received criticism by a France legend
Rayan Cherki may have won the humour and hearts of the majority of the Premier League but a former European Championship and FIFA World Cup winner thinks otherwise.
Cherki had long been regarded as one of France’s top-rising talents at Lyon before he joined Manchester City last summer for £34 million, one of the greatest deals for such a player in recent seasons.
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The 22-year-old has played a direct role 22 goals in 43 games across several competitions in his debut season at the Etihad Stadium, including two assists in a 3-0 win over Chelsea last week that revitalised City’s Premier League title charge.
In addition, the Frenchman got into the heads of many Arsenal fans in Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over the Gunners in March by performing kick-ups when the ball was in play, subsequently feigning an injury to waste time after being taken down by Ben White.
Against Chelsea on Sunday, Cherki set up Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi within six second-half minutes to blow Liam Rosenior’s side away, yet France legend Christophe Dugarry has criticised the attacking midfielder ahead of this weekend’s titanic battle between Manchester City and Arsenal.
“He (Cherki) is different from whom? What is Cherki’s style? Are the others blind? Are they clowns? Who is this guy different from?” the former striker, who was part of France’s triumphant squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 UEFA European Championship, said in conversation with Foot Mercato, as relayed by Sport Witness.
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“Why should we treat him (Cherki) differently? Is he better than (Bayern Munich’s Michael) Olise, is he better than (PSG’s Desire) Doue? Is he better than (PSG’s Bradley) Barcola?
“We need to stop thinking that every time he (Cherki) touches the ball, it’s a one-man show. He needs to be more efficient in his game. Pep Guardiola said it and he also explained that he needs to press more – and in modern football, that’s important.”
Cherki has constantly been praised by Guardiola in recent months and was recently compared by his manager to club legend Sergio Aguero, one of City’s greatest-ever players, who scored 260 goals in 390 games for the sky Blues.
Rayan Cherki and Manchester City’s recent history of loveable rogues
“His work ethic is unbelievable,” Guardiola said on Cherki last week. “He knows he is not going to play, knowing he doesn’t have the speed and pressing that Antoine Semenyo has – that is amazing.
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“I’ve been with Sergio Aguero and Sergio Aguero was not the incredible high press player but he tried his best and all I ask is that. Do your best and you can do it because he has another quality. Every player has his own ability.”
With a notable creative void left following Kevin De Bruyne’s free transfer to Napoli last summer, Cherki has gone from being a late, albeit effective, substitute option to a starter who is perhaps the most threatening in the Premier League behind Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
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