'Cherki has bought true freedom and creative magic'
[BBC] [Getty Images] Manchester City are finding their stride at the perfect time and it's the most daunting of warnings being issued simultaneously to those of an Arsenal persuasion. Mikel Arteta's side stumbled and Pep Guardiola's players pounced and at the heart of that deadly punch was Rayan Cherki, who grabbed the Chelsea game by the scruff of its neck to take all three points. Chelsea frustrated and on numerous occasions threatened to do their London rivals a favour in the first half on Sunday, but it was City who stood firm, albeit whilst not creating too much themselves.
By the start of the second half, there was a new-found urgency in the way City were operating. It was relentless, free-flowing and a clear desperation to find goals in abundance. Much of that masterplan saw the ball fed to Cherki at every opportunity, with the French magician viewed as the key to breaking down a stubborn Chelsea rearguard.
All too often over a 10-year period, we would speak of Kevin De Bruyne's ability to find a pass and a space to unlock a defence that many others simply could not do. And in the 22-year-old "maverick", Hugo Viana and City may have found a similar architect. One inch-perfect, sweeping ball into the penalty area found Nico O'Reilly for the first, before a mesmerising dribble across the face of the Chelsea 18-yard box and the narrowest of openings to find Marc Guehi gave City a crucial two-goal advantage.
It's certainly too early to say we've found the perfect De Bruyne replacement and if we're being entirely honest, nobody can come close to directly replicating the Belgian's achievements. But Cherki is his own man, a refreshing entry into the Premier League bringing true freedom and creative magic just as the English top flight finds itself in danger of falling back into the trap of being known for brute force, physicality and in some ways overstepping the mark from set-pieces to win football matches. The Premier League need Cherki, as much as City need Cherki if they are to win the title.
Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra