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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could barely contain his admiration for Rayan Cherki after the French playmaker delivered a decisive display in the club’s hard-fought 2-1 Premier League victory away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The City manager admitted he was so impressed by the 22-year-old’s performance that he felt torn between scolding him and embracing him, such was the impact of Cherki’s creativity at the City Ground.
Cherki, who joined City from Lyon in the summer, is rapidly establishing himself as a central figure in Guardiola’s side during his debut season in England.
While the supremely talented midfielder has at times tested his manager’s patience by attempting overly intricate solutions instead of opting for simpler passes, he demonstrated his full range of ability against Forest.
The France international provided the assist for Tijjani Reijnders’ second-half opener with a delicately weighted pass before scoring the decisive goal himself, firing confidently from just inside the penalty area late on after Omari Hutchinson had drawn Forest level.
Guardiola was keen to stress the importance of giving Cherki freedom within City’s system, even if that comes with moments of frustration.
“I want to let him express his incredible talent,” the Spaniard said. “We need to build better from the back so he can receive the ball more often in those positions. The second half was a bit better.
“There are times when I shout at him, and there are other times when I want to kiss him.”
City’s sixth consecutive league victory prompted jubilant scenes at full-time, with Guardiola soaking up chants from the travelling supporters as he celebrated in front of them.
The performance itself was far from flawless, but that only added to the satisfaction for Guardiola, who was pleased with how his side coped against a resilient Forest team. Last season, City often struggled in similarly physical and combative encounters, including a narrow defeat at the same venue in March.
Guardiola acknowledged that his team would likely have faltered under Forest’s intense approach a year ago, but believes City have now developed the resilience required to remain firmly in the title race following an extensive rebuilding process over the past 12 months.
“I know memories can be short, but when we won the six Premier League titles, games like this were crucial. This is a massive three points,” he said.
“It’s mainly because of the quality of the opposition. Sean Dyche has built a proper team here. It’s a top, top side.
“What matters is knowing how to suffer, how to defend, and accepting that you’re not playing well and can still improve. If you don’t accept that, you have no chance. Last season, this game was lost every time.”
