Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, recently spoke about his team’s offensive difficulties and the importance of having a wide range of goalscorers. If his comments do not directly mention a regret, his allusions to Riyad Mahrez suggest that the absence of the Algerian winger is cruelly felt. And when we know the impact of Fennec during his five years at City, it’s hard not to imagine that Guardiola regrets his departure for Saudi Arabia.
“We need players like Riyad Mahrez”
Analyzing his team’s decline in offensive efficiency, Guardiola said: “Offensive players must deliver goals and assists. We can’t just count on Haaland. The biggest clubs that win titles have scorers like Agüero, Gabriel Jesus, but also Riyad (Mahrez), Raheem (Sterling), Leroy (Sané), Gundogan…”
This reminder, where Mahrez is cited alongside club legends like Agüero, underlines how crucial the Algerian has been for City. Guardiola insisted on the importance of having several players capable of contributing offensively, a mission which, according to him, remains incomplete since the departure of certain figures, including the native of Sarcelles.
A player still irreplaceable
The figures speak for themselves: in five seasons, Riyad Mahrez has scored 78 goals and provided 56 assists in 236 matches. With a total of 134 decisive gestures, he is still today the 7th most decisive player of the Guardiola era, even though he left the club more than a year ago. Furthermore, he remains the 11th most used player by Guardiola at City, an impressive figure in a squad brimming with talent.
The 2019 African champion played a key role in Manchester City’s success, actively participating in four English league titles and the historic conquest of the Champions League. By evoking the need for “players capable of scoring and assisting”, Guardiola can’t help but regret the absence of such a consistent and decisive winger.
Mahrez was decisive 134 times for City.
A void difficult to fill
With only three goals scored in the Premier League this season by their wingers, Manchester City seems to be struggling to effectively replace Mahrez. Jeremy Doku, who arrived to take over from him, is still in the adaptation period, while Jack Grealish is struggling to regain his level from last season.
For Guardiola, this drop in performance is an obstacle to the quest for new titles: “We need goals from everyone, not just Erling (Haaland).” Words which resonate as an indirect admission of the lack left by Mahrez in City’s offensive mechanics.
The shadow of Riyad Mahrez still looms
If Manchester City has turned the page on Mahrez, the impact left by the Algerian international is still palpable. His exploits, his consistency and his ability to be decisive in key moments make him a player difficult to forget. And even though Guardiola didn’t explicitly express regret, his words are enough to understand that a player of Mahrez’s caliber is sorely missed in his system.
