14 hours ago
31
Pep Guardiola sees Rayan Cherki as a potential false nine as the Manchester City boss seeks to ease the burden on Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola believes Rayan Cherki is capable of easing the goalscoring burden on Erling Haaland at Manchester City.
City have relied on Haaland for goals this season, with the striker having scored 11 of the 17 the Blues have netted in the Premier League.
No other City player has scored more than once in the top flight this season and City will need more contributions from their array of attacking talent if they are to figure in the title race. Omar Marmoush got off the mark in midweek while Jeremy Doku netted his second in all competitions, a feat matched by Cherki who rounded off a fine individual display with a stoppage time third at Swansea.
And Guardiola believes the France international has the capabilities to play as a false nine as an alternative to Haaland should the striker pick up an injury or need to be rested.
"The numbers of the people up front have to be better, they know it, we talk about it," said Guardiola on the reliance on Haaland for goals. "It is about numbers. I think our players have an ability to score goals, Omar has it, Rayan Cherki has this talent, Phil can do it. To define the big teams and the big players up front is the impact of assists and goals."
Haaland was rested against Swansea in the Carabao Cup but will return when City take on Bournemouth at the Etihad on Sunday.
The striker drew a blank for only the second time this season in last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa having also failed to score against Tottenham in August.
The 25-year-old faces the prospect of a 12-month season having played for City in the Club World Cup last summer and with Norway poised to qualify for the World Cup in North America next year.
It means Guardiola may need to manage the striker's minutes as the season goes on, particularly with City challenging on four fronts.
But for now, the Blues boss is again ready to turn to his main man to fire City back up the Premier League table, but sees Cherki as an alternative
"I don’t think Erling is tired of scoring goals," said Guardiola. "When he will be tired he will tell me
"I can play with a false nine, with Rayan Cherki for example. I think Rayan fits that perfectly. When we have the whole team we can play in different shapes."
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
English (US) ·