Three Premier Leagues and counting, three league cups, a Community Shield and finally an FA Cup. This is Riyad Mahrez’s vast trophy haul for Manchester City since he made the switch from Leicester.
Bought from the Foxes on July 10th 2018, Mahrez was at the time the most expensive African footballer of all time, City paid £60 million to acquire the Algerian’s services. The winger’s first season was a settling-in period, this is a normal occurrence for the vast majority of Pep Guardiola signings, particularly wingers, as the way the Spaniard sees the game and his tactical make-up is completely unique. However, Mahrez’s stats were impressive from 44 appearances (28 starts) he scored 12 and assisted another 12. Most memorably, Mahrez put the Blues 3-1 up away to Brighton on the final day of the Premier League season to secure City’s second successive title.
The 19/20 season saw 50 appearances (35 starts) 13 goals and an extremely impressive 16 assists. City scored a staggering 102 goals in the league but a disjointed defence and a crucial injury to centre-back Aymeric Laporte saw the Blues finish 18 points off champions Liverpool. The 20/21 season saw Mahrez again make 48 appearances (39 starts) and register 14 goals and assist a further 9. However, this was the season the Algerian made a name for himself in the Champions League, becoming one of City’s key performers in the competition and guiding the Blues to their first-ever final. Mahrez got an assist in the 2nd leg of the Round of 16 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, another assist to Kevin De Bruyne in the 1st leg of the Quarter-Final at home to Borussia Dortmund. The Semi-Final against PSG saw Mahrez score a free-kick away at the Le Parc des Princes to put City level and give the Blues a crucial away goal. The 2nd leg at the Etihad saw Mahrez score both of City’s goals in a 2-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s side, reaching the Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history.
Last season, Mahrez scored a career-high 24 goals in his time so far at City and assisted another 9, as City bagged their fourth Premier League title in just five seasons. He recorded an assist in the 1st leg of the Semi-Final against Real Madrid, and scored at the Bernabeu in the return leg a week later as City crashed out in extra time.
At the time of writing, the Algerian has scored ten times and recorded four assists in his last 15 outings, and is playing some of the best football of his career as City look to chase down Arsenal and claim a third straight Premier League title.
Riyad Mahrez is a world-class winger, he possesses an immense left foot, arguably the best touch in world football and the ability to create a chance out of nothing. The former PFA Player of the Year knows his role impeccably, he knows when to hold his width and when to drift inside and look to work his magic.
Whether the City winger ever receives the praise I believe he deserves is yet to be seen. Mahrez is without a shadow of a doubt one of the all-time great Premier League wingers, and City should be thankful they possess such a talent.