Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has emphasised that Rayan Cherki should operate predominantly in advanced attacking areas, where he can be most influential.
The young French playmaker has played a vital role in City’s recent cup triumphs against Arsenal and Liverpool, and is steadily finding his footing in his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium. With nine goals and 11 assists so far, the 22-year-old has adapted well to both English football and Guardiola’s tactical expectations.
Cherki’s ability
Addressing the media ahead of their clash with Chelsea on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Stamford Bridge, Guardiola underlined his desire to keep Cherki positioned high up the pitch to maximise his attacking qualities.
“He has the ability and quality in the final third,” he said.
“That’s why I sometimes say when they go to the goalkeeper for the ball, I say no, I want you there in the final third. They have something that I like a lot with attacking players, how they play with rhythms, accelerate, decelerate, accelerate, decelerate, then immediately attack, then stop, then accelerate again,” he added
“These players have this ability to play with the rhythm of the opponents and the vision to make the extra pass, this is what defines the best.”
Guardiola went on to draw comparisons between Cherki and club captain Bernardo Silva, highlighting their calmness under pressure as a rare and valuable trait.
“He’s one of the most unbelievably talented players I’ve ever seen and hopefully he can stay for longer because he has the attributes to be a top player,” said Pep, speaking of Cherki.
Attributes
“The attributes he has are difficult to find, he’s the same as Bernardo, in the difficult moments and under pressure, he acts like it’s a friendly game, that it doesn’t matter, and that’s so difficult to find.
“As a manager and sporting director, it’s one of the biggest attributes I’d like to find in a player that the team signs.”
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland rediscovered his scoring touch in the recent victory over Liverpool, netting a hat-trick to take his tally to 12 for the season. Guardiola welcomed the striker’s return to form, noting the benefits of the recent international break.
“It’s so important for us [to see Haaland scoring],” Pep said.
“I said in November, the goals will always be there, he’s a machine, but I liked the second one, he made the movement to the near post. Sometimes you need a reset, it’s always in the mindset, how positive you are. It’s how you forget the bad shot, like in the Masters, if you make a bogey, forget it, next shot. That’s what defines the top athletes. Every season Erling will be better and better.” Gurdiola said.
Clash at the Bridge
The Blues are set to host Pep Guardiola’s men at Stamford Bridge, riding high after a dominant 7-0 triumph over Port Vale that sealed their progression to the FA Cup semi-finals
Chelsea will be looking to register their first win over City in five years since that memorable Champions League encounter in Porto, while for Man City, they will be looking to capitalise on Arsenal’s defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday, April 11, 2026, to mount pressure on the Gunners in the title race.
