Pep Guardiola asked for updated verdict on Abdukodir Khusanov following recent Manchester City display | OneFootball

Abdukodir Khusanov has received fresh praise from his manager this week after another impressive performance in Premier League action at the weekend.

It comes after a disappointing result for the club after Manchester City fell further behind in the chase for a top-four finish having lost 1-0 to fellow UEFA Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

Callum Hudson-Odoi’s solitary strike in the final 10 minutes of the contest left Manchester City with huge disappointment having controlled large portions of the affair but failing to find the cutting edge in front of goal.

Having defended resolutely, much of the praise around that rearguard stability fell on the shoulders of Abdukodir Khusanov – who is rapidly becoming a fan favourite across the globe with his no-fear approach to defensive situations.

And speaking in the aftermath of Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, Pep Guardiola was quizzed for his thoughts on the progress being made by Khusanov and the Uzbek defender’s performances as a whole.

“The impact has been really good,” Guardiola insisted.

“We cannot demand to him to do something like still need to do it, but defensively, and aggression, the concentration is massive, it’s really good.”

Abdukodir Khusanov has certainly had his work cut out since joining Manchester City during the January transfer window from RC Lens, and having seen several of his defensive teammates sidelined through injury, the responsibility on the youngster could not be greater.

Despite a troublesome opening 10 minutes in his debut for the club against Chelsea, the 21-year-old Tashkent-born defender has gone from strength to strength with impressive showings against all of Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Tottenham.

Given the injury state-of-play in defence, many expect Khusanov to firmly cement himself as the first name on the Manchester City team-sheet right through until the end of the ongoing season and perhaps beyond.