“Perfect combination” – Rayan Cherki makes career-long Pep Guardiola admission | OneFootball

Rayan Cherki has admitted that the playing style implemented by Pep Guardiola has matched his own vision for the game held since he entered the professional world.

The 22-year-old has been one of Manchester City’s best players in recent months, meeting expectations and assuming the role of architect-in-chief in Guardiola’s transitional squad after signing for £34 million from Lyon last summer.

Cherki has forged strong relationships with the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders in attack, already boasting impressive numbers in the final third as he continues to entertain and excite a Manchester City fanbase that bid farewell to long-serving creator Kevin De Bruyne in 2025.

Guardiola has waxed lyrical about Cherki’s influence on City’s attack, having given the France international the platform to express himself as the Blues vie for a fifth Premier League title against Mikel Arteta’s formidable Arsenal side.

In conversation with Manchester City’s official channels prior to Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, Cherki opened up on his experience so far working with Guardiola.

“It’s the intensity he (Guardiola) puts into football every day, he began. It’s really incredible to see all the energy he has for the sport,” the playmaker said.

“It’s really impressive to see the high energy and the emotional intensity he (Guardiola) brings to his work on a daily basis.

“Pep has always been my vision of football. Ever since I entered the professional world, Pep has always been the vision of football that I had in my head, that I wanted to play.

“So obviously, when I came here (to Manchester City), everything became clearer for me, everything became simpler for me, and I think it’s the perfect combination.”

Offering insight into his own ambitions when it comes to his output on the field, Cherki added: “If I had to describe my game, I like beautiful things. I love football. I like to see it with emotion. I like my teammates to enjoy themselves.

“I like to be effective. It’s all about being effective and to give pleasure to my teammates, to give pleasure to the fans.

“Not all lives are easy and when the fans come to the stadium, it’s to enjoy 90 minutes of pure pleasure and forget everything. And that’s what I’m here for, but at the same time I want to be effective. That’s the objective.”

Cherki will be instrumental to Manchester City’s title chances as the season progresses and Guardiola will be desperate to keep the Frenchman fit and firing as Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias suffered injuries at the weekend, which has since seen the Blues strengthen their pursuit of Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi.