Manchester City came from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 on Thursday evening and Rico Lewis came away with praise for his performance. The 18-year-old started at right-back ahead of Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo and was outstanding at the Etihad Stadium.
YouTuber Steven Mcierney was one of many who lauded Lewis on Twitter after the game, saying: “Really needs to be stressed how remarkable it is what Rico Lewis is achieving. He’s the youngest on the pitch, the least experienced, the smallest, in one of the most technically demanding positions in football, being picked ahead of Cancelo & Walker… and he’s incredible.”
Lewis led the comeback, carrying the ball 50 yards before feeding Riyad Mahrez whose ball into the box wasn’t dealt with and led to Julian Alvarez tapping in from close range. He also deflected a shot onto the post when Tottenham bore down on goal.
The 18-year-old consistently drove forward with the ball against Tottenham and was repeatedly felled. No City defender created more chances, had more successful dribbles or register more shots on target than Lewis, so Pep Guardiola will be delighted with his showing.
The England U18 international has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one goal. Lewis had been used sparingly in the Premier League for months and Vital Man City predicted he wouldn’t feature much in 2023, but he’s played in four of their last five league outings.
Performances like Thursday will keep Lewis in the starting lineup.
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