Manchester City swept aside Luton Town yesterday to go top of the Premier League – and Micah Richards picked put one player in particularly for praise.
City demolished the Hatters 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium to put the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool, who are both in action today.
Erling Haaland‘s bicycle kick deflected in very luckily off Daiki Hashioka to get the ball rolling. Luton kept City at bay for a while, but Pep Guardiola‘s side turned on the style on the second-half.
Mateo Kovacic scored a fantastic volley from the edge of the box, before Haaland made it three from the penalty spot.
After Ross Barkey pulled one back for Luton, Jeremy Doku danced his way into the box to score a fourth, with Josko Gvardiol grabbing his second goal in two goals.
It was a ruthless performance, and last night Micah Richards praised one of City’s goalscorers…
Micah Richards says Jeremy Doku was just ‘brilliant’ for Manchester City against Luton Town
With the second game against Real Madrid just around the corner, this was a chance for Pep to rotate. Although there were still some big hitters in the team yesterday, like Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
There was never any real chance of Luton being a banana skin for City, who were just so in control throughout.
Guardiola had reminded his players ahead of the game that it was a privilege to still be fighting on three fronts, and they turned in a superb performance as a result.
It was just a great day at the office, and a very solid showing from Jeremy Doku out of the left side.
The £50,000-a-week Belgian was starting over Jack Grealish, who is likely to get the nod against Real Madrid next Wednesday, and his display left Richards really impressed.
He said on Match of the Day: “He had a really, very good game today. He was really important in what he did.
In the second-half, he was getting the ball more in the box, driving, making more important runs and was more decisive. He was brilliant, and it’s tough as well because he’s been in and out of the side. He started really well and everyone was saying he should be in the team ahead of Grealish. Had a little bit of a dip, but it was a really good, important performance from him today.”
A performance Doku needed
This was a top display from Doku and perhaps his best since that stunning display against Bournemouth at the Etihad earlier this season.
And it was one he rather needed, because the Belgian has been a little slowing getting back up to speed since coming back from his injury at the start of the year.
As Richards points out, it’s difficult for him because he’s in and out of the team, rotating with Grealish, so it’s hard to build momentum.
It was good to see him looking so dangerous yesterday, and he should now take real confidence from this electric display. His goal was so well taken, with pundit Paul Merson describing yesterday him as ‘phenomenal’.
Grealish has probably moved ahead of him in the pecking order now. But the exciting 21-year-old still has plenty to offer at the business end of the season.