“We didn’t find him much after the goal” – Pep Guardiola outlines Rayan Cherki frustrations despite Arsenal brilliance

Guardiola: I want five of those actions from Cherki

Ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League meeting with Burnley at Turf Moor, Guardiola was glowing in his initial appraisal of Cherki’s goal against Arsenal before pivoting sharply to what he wants to see more of.

“What a goal, right? But I like to push him,” Guardiola said. “He was extraordinary. What I like the most is the difficulties, 1-0, 0-0, going down, always he makes a step forward.

“But sometimes when we are 2-0 up, 3-0 up, he’s not involved anymore. So he makes an incredible goal, but after that – maybe it was for the way we play – we didn’t find him much, after the goal.

“And I want him more and that action that he has done, I want five of them! Not finishing with a goal, right, but more actions to pass at the end, and it didn’t happen.”

The demand for “five of those actions” rather than one is a telling indicator of how high Guardiola’s bar is set for Cherki and how far the City manager believes the young Frenchman is still from meeting it on a regular basis.

Eden Hazard assesses if Rayan Cherki can be Kevin De Bruyne’s heir at Manchester City

Cherki’s talent cannot be taught, admits Guardiola

Guardiola did not shy away from acknowledging the specific tendency that concerns him most – Cherki’s propensity to fade from games once City establish a lead.

“Sometimes in the last games when we went 2-0 up or the other one, he is like, not disappear. He has the biggest attribute when it’s 0-0, going down, we found him more. But I think it’s part of the process,” Guardiola added.

The 55-year-old was quick to contextualise his criticism, however, pointing to Cherki’s age and the natural arc of development that still lies ahead of him.

Guardiola added: “How old is he? 22, 23 years old? So young! As much as you want to learn or want to be still this sense of being incredibly competitive, he’ll become a top player because the goal he has scored is Rayan Cherki. So this cannot be taught, cannot be guided, it’s just his amazing talent that he has.”

The distinction Guardiola draws is an important one. The instinct, the vision, the audacity to attempt and execute a goal of that calibre in that moment, those qualities are innate.

What can be developed, and what Guardiola is clearly working on, is the discipline and intensity to sustain that level of contribution across 95 minutes regardless of the scoreline.

Rayan Cherki is an extraordinary talent, says Pep Guardiola after Manchester City win over Chelsea

For a player talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham has already declared the only contender for Footballer of the Year, the ceiling remains tantalisingly, almost impossibly, high.