Riyad Mahrez is Manchester City’s Player of the Month for January, after a wonderful month from the Algerian saw him score 5 goals and set up 2 goals. Mahrez got the winner against Chelsea in the Premier League at the start of January, he then scored a brace against the same opposition in City’s third-round FA Cup victory. The winger rounded off an astonishing month by leading the charge in City’s astonishing second-half fightback against Tottenham Hotspur, in which he produced a wonderful brace and set up striker Erling Haaland on route to City picking up a vital three points in the title race.
This is Mahrez’s second consecutive City Player of the Month, after the former Leicester man was the recipient of the December award for his form in City’s games after the Blues returned to action following the World Cup break. Mahrez scored a sumptuous free-kick against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, before teeing up Erling Haaland in City’s disappointing 1-1 draw to Everton in the Premier League.
Mahrez has been reawoken over recent months after manager Pep Guardiola said: “Maybe Riyad had a problem coming back from the summertime, not the World Cup.” The Algerian struggled for form at the beginning of the season, and failed to register a goal involvement in his first nine appearances. However, Mahrez has scored 10 times and registered 4 assists in his last 16 outings and looks in tremendous form as City try to close the gap to Premier League Leader’s Arsenal.