Abduqodir Husanov continued his impressive streak by playing his first full match for Manchester City in the 25th round of the Premier League, as Guardiola's Uzbek defender has been winning in the games he has played. After a significant victory over Newcastle, Pep praised Abduqodir. Ahead are two important clashes – a return match against Real Madrid in Madrid and a game against Liverpool.
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Akanji's position was filled
After Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola faced a setback against Real in the first match of the Champions League playoffs, it was expected that he would rotate the defense in the match against Newcastle. This indeed happened – instead of the Dias and Ake defensive duo, Husanov and Stones were chosen. After trusting Abduqodir in place of the long-term injured Manuel Akanji, the 20-year-old defender managed to show a decent performance against Newcastle, one of the most combative teams in the Premier League. It is also worth noting that in the significant victory achieved thanks to Omar Marmush's hat-trick, City managed to stop one of the Premier League's top scorers, Alexander Isak. In any case, City’s defense conceded a total of 9 goals in the last 3 matches without Husanov on the field (Arsenal – 1:5, Leyton – 2:1, Real – 2:3).
On social media, Isak's goal in the match against Liverpool (3:3) and his 8.1 rating for the clash with Van Dijk, as well as his goal in the match against Arsenal (0:2) where he received an 8.7 rating for his clash with Saliba, have led to various memes, while his performance against Husanov was rated much lower – at 6.2.
Another noteworthy statistic is that Abduqodir became the player who provided the most forward passes among those on the field in the match against Newcastle.
Husanov – the first step towards victory for City
Yes, the 20-year-old defender from Uzbekistan is gradually becoming a winning talisman for Manchester City. Statistics also support this – in the last three matches where Pep Guardiola has fielded Abduqodir, City scored a total of 9 goals and conceded 2. In his debut match, where they defeated Chelsea 3:1, our compatriot was also involved in the opponent's goal. Since then, he has scored the first goal for his new team in the cup against Leyton Orient, and on Saturday, Newcastle was defeated by a large margin. Conversely, in the matches against Arsenal and Real, where Husanov was not fielded, the team lost, conceding a total of 8 goals. Therefore, Husanov's presence in the squad is becoming the first step towards victory for the "Citizens".
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Husanov outperformed Haaland, Foden, and Gundogan
The 20-year-old defender from Uzbekistan's performance during the 90 minutes against Newcastle has also been recognized by the English media.
In particular, journalists from the BBC, one of Britain's most prestigious channels, rated Abduqodir Husanov's first full match at 7.44.
For comparison, the national team defender outperformed stars such as Phil Foden (7.38), Ilkay Gundogan (7.30), and Erling Haaland (7.21) in this regard.
Manchester City players' ratings in the match against Newcastle (according to BBC):
Praise from Guardiola
After the match against Newcastle, Manchester City coach praised the Uzbek defender.
“I am pleased with the pace of today's match and our actions. Niko Gonzales and Abduqodir Husanov played excellently. Ahead is the important return match against Real. We must do everything to ensure our fans return home happy.
New players have many aspects that benefit us. Husanov embodies speed and determination. This is exactly why we signed him. He is very fast, young, and has high self-confidence. He stands out with his bold and aggressive play. He is not afraid of one-on-one duels, and even if he loses, he immediately returns to help. He is adapting very well,” said the Spanish coach praising Husanov.
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Next – matches against Real and Liverpool
Manchester City is looking forward to its most important match of the season in the next clash. Pep Guardiola has almost given up hope of retaining the Premier League title, but he is still hopeful for the Champions League run. In the return match of the playoff against Real in Madrid, City is expected to put all its strength and capabilities into play. Because after the first match, the team has nothing to lose in this game, and Pep will motivate his players only for victory. After Wednesday night's "battle," City will face the league leaders Liverpool on Sunday. The upcoming final could be a turning point in the season for the "Citizens," and Husanov has shown that he deserves to be on the field in the upcoming matches. Therefore, we have the right to expect Abduqodir to take the field at the Santiago Bernabeu in 3 days.
Source: Kun.uz
