Manchester City were condemned to a fifth straight defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday – and there was one player who really ran the show at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola admitted City are ‘fragile defensively’ at the moment, as the team shipped four more goals.
James Maddison scored twice in the first-half for Spurs, with City players guilty of not tracking runners. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson struck in the second-half, leaving Pep Guardiola to pick the bones out of a chastening defeat.
Spurs do tend to give City trouble when the teams meet.
And someone who often has an impact is Dejan Kulusevski, who at this point, is someone Manchester City should genuinely consider going after next year.
Dejan Kulusevski shone for Tottenham against Man City
Maddison was probably the headline-maker against City with his two goals, but Dejan Kulusevski really was superb for the visitors.
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The Sweden international has been enjoying a fantastic season so far, and rocked up to the Etihad Stadium full of confidence.
He operated in the right half-space, allowing for overlaps from Pedro Porro and City just couldn’t really handle him.
Kulusevski wasn’t actually involved particularly heavily. As per Sofascore, nine Spurs players had more than his 34 touches in the game. However, his use of the ball when he got it was excellent, supplying four key passes, with one of those being an assist for Maddison.
He was also superb in terms of his dribbling, completing all four of the ones he attempted.
Pundit Gary Neville, who commentated on the game, raved about Kulusevski, saying on Sky Sports (via Hotspur Related): “Kulusevski was special out there. The way he ran past players, with his quality and strength, it was an absolutely fantastic performance.”
Why Man City need to consider signing Dejan Kulusevski
Ahead of the game with City, Sky Sports interviewed Kulusevski, and also offered some statistics about him this season.
He had created the most chances of any Premier League player (30), and also the most chances from open play (25).
Across all competitions he has six assists in 18 appearances so far, indicating that he really has been making things happen in the final third.
As City fans well know, there is a chance Kevin De Bruyne could be leaving the club next year when his current contract expires and a new creator could be required to replace him.
But Kulusevski is not just someone who’s creative. He’s also tenacious and hardworking. Before the game with City, he was first of all Premier League players for most possessions won in the final third (16).
Kulusevski is quoted as saying: “I try to kill you not only with the ball, but also without the ball. In basketball, you have to do both parts. The best players are also the best defenders. It’s not quite the same in football, but that is what I want to do. I want to do both parts of the game as well as possible.”
Kulusevski is undeniably a Pep Guardiola player, and is someone the club ought to consider trying to sign next summer, with incoming director of football Hugo Viana reportedly set to receive a ‘significant transfer war chest’.
Kulusevski – who signed for Spurs for £25 million after a loan spell – has a contract until 2028 so he would undoubtedly be extremely expensive. But between his creativity, work rate, versatility and leadership, City would be fools not to attempt a move.