As Manchester City have won their past four matches in all competitions, Rayan Cherki has put in four spellbinding displays. The French international is a one-of-a-kind player, as his ability on the ball is almost second to none in world football. Another aspect of Cherki’s play that stands out is his composure under pressure. Cherki’s composure under fire perfectly complements his prodigious technical ability. As Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Cherki’s composure under pressure was impossible to miss in the top-of-the-table Premier League clash.
The brilliance and composure of Rayan Cherki stood out in the heat of Sunday’s match.
Sunday’s match between Manchester City and Arsenal was the perfect encapsulation of a top-of-the-Premier-League-table clash. The stakes were high, and both teams knew what picking up all three points would mean. At times, players for both teams seemed weighed down by this. The standard of Sunday’s match was high, but at times players made simple errors they ordinarily wouldn’t make. One player didn’t exhibit this tendency. That was Rayan Cherki. Every time he was on the ball, he seemed unfazed by the stakes of the match. The perfect example of this came when Cherki opened the scoring in the 16th minute.
Rayan Cherki received the ball on the edge of the Arsenal area after a superb touch from Matheus Nunes. Cherki glided into the Arsenal area. He still had plenty to do to fashion a chance from the situation he was facing. First, Cherki left Gabriel in his wake with a brilliant touch on his left foot. He did the same to Declan Rice. Cherki made space for himself to shoot with his right foot and beat David Raya with a composed right-footed finish. It was a brilliant goal from Cherki as his skill and composure stood out.
The goal Cherki scored was one of the goals of the season. In that one moment, he showed everything that makes him such a dangerous and great player. Plenty of players have tremendous technical ability, but many don’t have the composure to go with it. Rayan Cherki does, and that makes him such a dangerous weapon for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Rayan Cherki showed once again how important he is to Manchester City against Arsenal.
As Manchester City have beaten Arsenal twice, Chelsea and Liverpool in their past four matches, Rayan Cherki has shown just how vital he is to Pep Guardiola’s side. He is a weapon that can decide, or break open a match in a moment. If it wasn’t for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error 107 seconds after Cherki’s goal, the piece of brilliance from the French international would have gotten more attention. It deserved to. As did his overall performance against Arsenal. When other players seemed rushed by the occasion on Sunday, Cherki didn’t seem flustered by it all. That trait will carry him a long way in the game coupled with his talent.
Rayan Cherki’s ability to stay calm in the fire that is a top-of-the-table Premier League clash caught the eye as Manchester City beat Arsenal. It was impossible to miss every time Cherki got on the ball at the Etihad on Sunday. As the title race heats up, Cherki’s ability to stay calm when the stakes are at their highest may be a decisive factor that sees him break open games and tilt the title race City’s way.
