Rayan Cherki is delivering numbers and style for Manchester City, while still defending individual flair under Pep Guardiola. The winger has become a key creator in the Premier League and remains committed to entertaining supporters. Yet Cherki also praises Guardiola’s demanding methods, as City chase Arsenal in the title race and aim for a domestic treble in the 2025-26 season.
The French winger joined Manchester City from Lyon last summer and adapted quickly to English football. Cherki already has 10 Premier League assists in this first campaign in England. No player has reached double figures for assists in a debut Premier League season since Dimitri Payet produced 12 for West Ham United in 2015-16.
Underlying data underlines Cherki’s creative
influence for Manchester City in the Premier League. Cherki has supplied an assist every 138 league minutes this season from a total of 1,384 minutes. Among players with more than 1,000 minutes in a single Premier League campaign, only Cesc Fabregas in 2016-17 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2023-24 record a better average.
Cherki insists, however, that statistics show only part of the picture for a player driven by expression. The winger sees the role at Manchester City as entertaining crowds as much as delivering goals and assists. Cherki believes performance style should allow fans inside the stadium to briefly forget normal life and daily problems.
Football, for me, is like art, he told Man City's official media channels. It's like music, it's like drawing. If we don't play with pleasure, you can't play better, you can't show what you want. And me, when I go on the pitch, I just want two things: the children, the dad, the mum, to forget about life for 90 minutes. A lot of people do not have my chance, and when I go on the pitch, it's to show my style and let people say, 'Oh my God, I forgot my life for 90 minutes!' The problems disappear. 'This style is just him, just Rayan Cherki, and not everybody. '
A pleasure to watch @rayan_cherki pic.twitter.com/pg1QNlsBL7Manchester City (@ManCity) April 13, 2026
That flair sometimes creates tension with Pep Guardiola on the touchline. During Manchester City’s 2-0 EFL Cup final win over Arsenal last month, cameras showed Guardiola shaking the head. Cherki repeatedly juggled the ball in the air, which drew a firm challenge from Ben White shortly afterwards, yet the winger still speaks very positively about the coach’s influence.
Unbelievable. Pep is crazy. He loves football. Football is him, and he is football, Cherki added. It's very good to work with him because all seconds, all minutes, all day we try, we try, we try, we work a lot. And, for me, it's better because I love it when I learn all the time. That is unbelievable.
Manchester City currently trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by six points ahead of their crucial meeting on Sunday. Cherki comes into that match in strong form after providing two assists in City’s 3-0 victory at Chelsea. That performance maintained hopes that Manchester City and Cherki can still complete a domestic treble in this debut English season.
Cherki also reflects on the league itself, describing pride at playing for Manchester City in the Premier League. I think a lot of things [about the Premier League], but the first thing is it's the best league in the world and I'm very proud to be here, he continued. I want to play, I want to take pleasure, I want to win games, I want to score, I want to give assists to my partners.
As the campaign reaches its final weeks, Cherki’s blend of creativity and productivity remains central to Manchester City’s plans under Pep Guardiola. The assist numbers, the artistic approach and the commitment to pleasing supporters together shape Cherki’s first Premier League season, with trophies and further milestones still within reach.
