Pep Guardiola has the ideal player for his team in a Manchester City maverick

“I don’t believe in that… There are good players, and not good players. Strong here [in the mind], and not strong. “If you’re a good player and strong here, you can play in all teams, the big teams in the world, and normally big teams are guided by the top, top managers. So of course he can play, it’s my style, my type… All the players I have here are my type of players, all of them.“

The importance of Rayan Cherki to Manchester City has grown throughout this season.

Any idea that Rayan Cherki doesn’t fit into a Pep Guardiola side has long been put to bed. Pep Guardiola didn’t need to confirm this fact. It has stood out across this season watching Cherki grow in importance to this Manchester City side. A perfect illustration of this came in Manchester City’s recent 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Rayan Cherki broke open a must-win game for his team with two assists, his assist for Marc Guehi’s goal in particular was a piece of magic that only he can produce. That display from the French international showed how important he is to his team, and further illustrated that Cherki is indeed a Pep Guardiola player.

Rayan Cherki will have an important role to play in Manchester City’s chase for a domestic treble this season. His ability to break open a match has the potential to tilt the title race in Manchester City’s favor. Match-winners such as Cherki are worth their weight in gold, and it won’t be a surprise to see Cherki have a huge impact in the final games that Manchester City play this season.

Pep Guardiola has put to bed any idea that Rayan Cherki isn’t a typical Pep Guardiola player. He didn’t really need to, as Cherki’s performances have done exactly that this season. Rayan Cherki is crucial to Manchester City, and he looms as a vital player for his team this season and in the future.