Rayan Cherki moved to Manchester City in the summer and claimed he made the switch after Lyon’s Europa League heartbreak at Manchester United – with the playmaker central to their Premier League charge
Rayan Cherki has been crucial to Man City’s title charge
Manchester City edged ever closer to completing a sensational comeback in the Premier League title race by seeing off Arsenal – but it was a comeback on the other side of Manchester that proved telling in their revival.
Pep Guardiola’s side could be top of the table come Wednesday night and key to their late season run has been the form of Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman, a summer signing from Lyon, scored the opening goal in the win over Arsenal on Sunday. A week earlier and he laid on the assist for Nico O’Reilly to score the opener in the victory at Chelsea. His ten assists are second only to Bruno Fernandes and he’s come up with just as many goals.
His moment of individual brilliance on Sunday saw him waltz into the Arsenal box, dribbling in and out of defenders with the type of swagger you see on a playground. And yet his desire to join City was born out of losing to their neighbours Manchester United.
Last season, his final one with Lyon, Cherki rocked up at Old Trafford in the last eight of the Europa League. The playmaker scored in extra-time and was pivotal in them going 4-2 up with six minutes remaining. United, though, would score three goals in that time to break French hearts.
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Cherki’s quality was obvious and it was City who chose to pay an initial fee of £30.45million and he signed a five-year deal until 2030. When he moved to the Etihad the 22-year-old admitted he was desperate to get one over on United after the pain they’d caused him.
He said: “I didn’t like it when Manchester United won the game against Lyon because I am a Lyon fan. Now I am waiting for the game to kill them. I just wanted to go to Manchester City.”
Cherki would miss out on the 3-0 win in the Manchester derby earlier this season. Then in January he would come off the bench as the Red Devils enjoyed a shock 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Rayan Cherki was playing for Lyon when they were on the receiving end of a Man Utd comeback
The playmaker may still be waiting to give it back to United, but the ultimate goal was Premier League glory and he’s been integral to City’s recent run as they look to overturn a huge points gap, which had many ruling them out of contention earlier this term.
He said upon arriving: “When I spoke with Pep and he wanted me – he was very, very clear. That the system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win and I think City wants to win it all. For me that’s better.
“The responsibility to help the team continue winning is something I want to embrace. I would only leave Lyon for a project I really believe in and everything at City suggests I can develop my game and help the team be successful in the future.”
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