Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola gave afloat debuts to Rayan Ait-Nouri and Claudio Echeverri successful Sunday's handsome triumph astatine the Club World Cup - and some impressed.
A 6-0 thrashing of UAE broadside Al-Ain sent City done to the past 16 with a crippled to spare, making it back-to-back cleanable sheets and 8 goals scored.
City's struggles past play were partially down to a lengthy wounded database and needing to deploy players successful unfamiliar positions specified arsenic Nico O'Reilly astatine left-back, with the academy subordinate much accustomed to playing successful midfield.
But the acquisition of awesome Algerian Ait-Nouri volition supply much equilibrium down the near and goalscorer Echeverri showed wherefore helium could beryllium a decent squad enactment this season.
Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, said of Echeverri: "He reminds maine a spot of Julian Alvarez - aforesaid benignant of player, his finishing is incredible
"He is simply a truly bully guy, a spot shy successful the opening but I deliberation helium tin assistance america a lot."
City's affinity with attacking players from Argentina has seen immoderate spell down successful the club's grounds books.
Sergio Aguero provided the most memorable and melodramatic moment of their archetypal Premier League rubric success, Carlos Tevez famously moved to the nine having antecedently played for rivals Manchester United, portion Julian Alvarez's £81m transportation to Atletico Madrid is their astir costly sale.
Guardiola whitethorn present person a aboriginal prima connected his hands successful teen Echeverri, who hails from the South American state that produced footballing greats Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.
Echeverri signed for City successful January 2024 but remained astatine River Plate connected indebtedness for different twelvemonth and was fixed a astonishment debut arsenic a substitute successful May's FA Cup last decision by Crystal Palace.
The 19-year-old played lone 45 minutes of City's rout connected Sunday, but caught the oculus with a sublime free-kick connected his archetypal commencement for the club.
Guardiola said: "Since helium arrived and [in] the 3 oregon 4 months with us, astatine the extremity of grooming sessions helium was practising free-kicks with the goalkeeper, partition and alone.
"The different ones did not practise. He was practising and practising and the enactment pays off.
"Fantastic extremity and unthinkable player. He could not proceed aft half-time due to the fact that of a occupation with the ankle, but the free-kick was truly good."
Guardiola has made wide helium wants to enactment with a smaller squad. The out-of-favour trio of Grealish, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips look to person nary futures astatine the club, portion James McAtee was not selected for the trip.
The Spaniard needs to further trim his playing unit from the 27 that are presently successful the United States, but Echeverri whitethorn person fixed his manager a headache astir whether to support him with the squad this play oregon authorisation a indebtedness determination away.
City person been without a recognised left-back since the departure of Benjamin Mendy, but Guardiola seems to person recovered the cleanable solution.
"Wow," said Guardiola of Ait-Nouri's performance. "He had to support a backmost four, past marque a backmost five. He played really, truly good, not for the archetypal time.
"It was his archetypal crippled but helium has played successful the Premier League for galore years."
Playing astatine the unthinkable Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta, Ait-Nouri showcased the people helium possesses with driving runs up and down the near flank.
He played the afloat crippled and highlighted wherefore helium volition beryllium specified an plus with a full of 92 touches of the ball, including 7 successful the absorption box, 2nd lone to Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian, who scored from the punishment spot and missed galore different chances, volition beryllium relishing getting connected the extremity of immoderate of Ait-Nouri's whipped crosses.
The 24-year-old could person scored successful the archetypal fractional erstwhile helium chopped wrong and bushed a mates of defenders, but mislaid his footing astatine the captious moment.
Guardiola said: "He tin assistance america play successful that relation extracurricular but past had to play arsenic a holding midfielder and spell into the pockets. He moves truly good into the spaces.
"He is intelligent and wide to support and instrumentality the ball. He is truthful clever successful the last third, taking the close decisions to make much spaces. Really pleased for the crippled helium played."
His statistic portion astatine Wolves amusement what helium volition adhd to this City broadside and wherefore the £31m interest could crook retired to beryllium a bargain.
Last season, Ait-Nouri led the mode for defenders with the astir extremity involvements (11) successful the Premier League - successful full helium scored 9 goals and provided 19 assists successful 5 seasons astatine Molineux.
His attacking capabilities are further enhanced by the information lone 3 different full-backs created much chances past word and lone West Ham's Aaron Wan-Bissaka completed much dribbles than Ait Nouri's 63.
Ait-Nouri helped guarantee City progressed into the knockout stages and they volition beryllium aiming to seal apical spot successful their last radical crippled against Juventus connected Thursday.
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