Manchester City dropped points at the London Stadium on Saturday night, drawing 1-1 with West Ham. Pep Guardiola’s team struggled to outperform Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. While City managed to control the match, limiting West Ham to a single shot, an error from Gianluigi Donnarumma during a corner allowed Konstantinos Mavropanos to score. Despite dominating possession, City lacked the creativity needed to break through West Ham’s defense until Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and Phil Foden came on as substitutes.
Pep Guardiola explains why Rayan Cherki hasn’t started the past two matches for Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola was asked why Rayan Cherki did not start against West Ham. Instead, Antoine Semenyo played as a number ten. Though Semenyo found good positions, his skills did not fully utilize those chances. If Cherki had been in those spots, the match might have turned out differently. Guardiola responded, “We learned that playing with Erling [Haaland], Jeremy [Doku], and Cherki created an imbalance. We lacked the stability needed in the Premier League.”
“That’s why I adjusted our setup. The team is evolving, and though we’ve made progress, there’s still more to achieve.”
“I enjoy playing Rayan [Cherki]. His impact off the bench is always remarkable.”
“However, sometimes he doesn’t have the required speed. The team was more stable with Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly as wingers, effectively working the ball into the box.”
“I am still looking for the best way to maintain consistent stability as a team.”
Surely the options are available to provide stability to City’s play and start Rayan Cherki.
There’s much to analyze in Guardiola’s explanation for not starting Rayan Cherki. His comments can also relate to his unconventional lineup against Real Madrid. The key point is Guardiola’s focus on finding stability during matches.
Previously, when Cherki and Phil Foden played more regularly before Christmas, Rodri was unavailable as he was recovering fitness. Now that Rodri has returned, he plays alongside Nico O’Reilly and Bernardo Silva in midfield. There’s no reason why Cherki can’t start on the right side and drift into the center while O’Reilly advances from midfield. Together with two of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo, or Omar Marmoush, City could have a strong attack. With Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and O’Reilly providing support, stability in midfield would be possible. This setup could pave the way for Cherki to enter the starting lineup and enhance Manchester City’s stability.
Another point in Guardiola’s explanation is questionable. Why was Savinho pushed into the starting lineup against Real Madrid after just one good game against Newcastle? This change took away the stability City needed, especially considering Cherki could have added better balance and control during that match.
Final thoughts.
Starting Rayan Cherki will not fix all the issues facing Manchester City. The team still needs development. However, given the current lack of creativity and the need for a player capable of breaking through defenses, there’s a strong case for including Cherki in the starting eleven. He is likely a more effective number ten than Antoine Semenyo. Guardiola’s reasoning for not starting Cherki makes some sense for stability, but it may be time to test Cherki in the lineup and see if he can add what the team is missing.