Julian Alvarez got on the scoresheet in Wednesday’s EFL Cup win over Chelsea, tapping in from close-range after Riyad Mahrez’s effort was parried into his path.
The 22-year-old has now scored four goals with two assists from three games across the board, so Pep Guardiola will feel confident that he can lead the line in Erling Haaland’s absence.
Manchester City lock horns with Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday and Alvarez might get the nod up front if Haaland’s isn’t deemed fit enough to feature.
The Norwegian international has ligament damage to his foot which kept him out of City’s 1-0 win over Leicester, the 3-1 win over Sevilla and the 2-0 win over Chelsea, so he might not be risked in their final game before the World Cup break.
Haaland has scored 23 goals with three assists from 17 games this season, but City can survive in his absence. Alvarez has scored seven goals with two assists from 19 games, averaging a goal contribution every 98.4 minutes.
The Argentine international is enjoying a rich vein of form with six goals and assists from three matches, so he deserves a start on the weekend.
In other news, Kalvin Phillips enjoyed two fantastic moments in two days
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