Rayan Cherki opens up on “crazy” Pep Guardiola and aims to “pleasure” Manchester City fans | OneFootball

Manchester City supporters can expect to be ‘pleasured’ by Rayan Cherki on the football pitch, after the Frenchman took huge confidence from a stellar performance this week.

The 22-year-old’s return to the scoresheet arrived at the perfect moment, with City booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals thanks to a second-half surge in South Wales on Wednesday night.

Cherki has been working to build rhythm post-injury, and this week’s showing offered a reminder of the talent he carries, with his creative spark and technical bravery lighting up a difficult knockout contest against Championship opposition buoyed by the occasion.

Manchester City fell behind to a spectacular Swansea opener, but belief in a comeback never wavered. Pep Guardiola’s side gradually asserted control, and quality eventually told, while Cherki’s influence grew as legs tired and spaces opened.

The former Lyon talent played a pivotal role in turning the tie; a sharp assist for Omar Marmoush’s breakthrough goal was followed by a cool, accurate finish of his own deep into stoppage time, confirming Manchester City’s passage into the last eight.

Speaking after Manchester City’s 1-3 win in the Carabao Cup fourth round against Swansea City on Wednesday night, Rayan Cherki was quizzed on the experience of working and learning from Pep Guardiola so far.

“It’s very good,” the France international admitted, as relayed by the Manchester Evening News. He continued, “He’s crazy like me – two crazy guys! We talk about everything, it’s unbelievable.”

Cherki went on to reveal, “Football is all my life. I eat football, I sleep football, I shower football. We have a big team and we want to win all the games. We don’t want repeats of the last game [against Aston Villa].”

On his current circumstances and feeling within the Manchester City group, Cherki said, “I feel very good because with these players it’s simple. We speak the same football so when we are on the pitch we take pleasure.”

Manchester City fans will also be left excited by Rayan Cherki’s outlook on a supporter’s experience on a matchday, whether that be at the Etihad Stadium or following the club away from home and into Europe.

“For me it’s very important when spectators come to the stadium they take pleasure,” said Cherki. “My life is good but I don’t know if spectators have a lot of happy things in their life so when they come to their stadium I want them to take pleasure so they go home with a smile.”

Rayan Cherki’s comments offer a window into his mentality; one of expression, passion, and driven by entertaining supporters, fitting the mould of a player perfectly suited to Pep Guardiola’s philosophy and a club that values artistry in central areas.

Manchester City fans have already seen glimpses of his flair during his relatively short time at the club to date, but Wednesday night’s performance may mark the moment his season truly starts.

With Brentford awaiting in the quarter-final alongside high-profile Premier League and UEFA Champions League encounters, Rayan Cherki’s role could grow further as Manchester City prepare for a packed winter schedule across four competitions.