Early in 2026, Manchester City were faced with a defensive crisis. Josko Gvardiol had suffered a right tibial fracture, Ruben Dias was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and John Stones and Nathan Ake were battling constant injury issues. Abdukodir Khusanov stepped up in City’s hour of need, as did Max Alleyne. The January signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace solidified City’s defence, and Pep Guardiola’s side has powered on since that moment. More recently, Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov have formed a solid defensive partnership for Pep Guardiola’s side, and their impressive displays together have drawn well-deserved praise from Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City look to have found their ideal centre-back partnership for the remainder of this season.
Typically, as Manchester City enter a critical stage of the season, Pep Guardiola settles on his preferred starting eleven. That helps City build momentum and continuity in their play, which has been evident in Manchester City’s past four matches. City have beaten Arsenal twice, Liverpool, and Chelsea and have played their best football during the 2025-26 season. A key component of Manchester City’s play in their four impressive wins has been the centre-back pairing of Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi.
Guehi and Khusanov have formed almost the ideal centre-back pairing for Manchester City. In Khusanov, City have a centre-back blessed with tremendous pace and strength. Khusanov’s ability to track back at speed is a key attribute to City’s defensive system. Marc Guehi adds stability, leadership, and poise in possession to Pep Guardiola’s side. When the pair play together, their games complement each other perfectly. This has formed a strong ingredient of Manchester City’s play, and the chemistry between Khusanov and Guehi cannot be ignored.
Pep Guardiola has praised the play of Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Burnley, Pep Guardiola has praised the performances of Guehi and Khusanov. He said their efforts have been extraordinary. The Manchester City manager explained: “Extraordinary. Like Nathan [Ake] when he played the Carabao Cup final, one of the best players on the pitch. Johnny’s [Stones] coming back. Unfortunately Josko [Gvardiol] and Ruben [Dias] have been injured.”
“But of course, in the last games Marc and Khusa… When I said the team, the future will be bright, because I see young, young players, grew up a lot this season and will be for the next year, many, many years there and that is really good for us.”
As Pep Guardiola said, Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi will be an important part of Manchester City’s future. They have also been a key component of Manchester City’s recent run and will play a crucial role in Manchester City’s bid to win this season’s Premier League title.
