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JEREMY DOKU WOWS CROWD BUT PEP GIVES UNDERSTATED SNUB

Pep Guardiola praised Jeremy Doku's "outstanding" performance in Man City's 3-0 win over Liverpool but stated the winger will "never be a top scorer." Doku tormented Liverpool's defence, but his final-third composure remains a focus.

Jeremy Doku wows crowd but Pep gives understated snub
Jeremy Doku shone against Liverpool - Photo Credit: REUTERS

Even though Jeremy Doku played a key role in Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Liverpool, manager Pep Guardiola still found time to provide some helpful criticism of the Belgian.

At the Etihad Stadium, City easily defeated the defending Premier League champions, marking Guardiola's 1,000th game as manager and one of their most comprehensive performances of the season.

Erling Haaland's header, Nico Gonzalez's deflected effort, and Jeremy Doku's incredible curling goal sealed the three points and reduced Arsenal's advantage at the top of the table to just four points.

Even though Haaland's habit of scoring goals attracted the usual attention, Doku was the player who stood out the most that day, relentlessly harassing Liverpool's right-hand side, especially the young, highly regarded full-back Conor Bradley.

The directness, self-assurance, and flair of the Belgian winger were essential to Manchester City's attacking rhythm and gave fans a taste of the explosive form he has shown, if sporadically, thus far in his tenure at the club.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola told reporters at his press conference after the game that although if Jeremy Doku is a highly skilled player in many areas, he is not likely to become a primary goal scorer.

"To be honest, I do not think he will ever be a high scorer," Guardiola acknowledged. "However, he listens, he is pushing himself to improve, and he has unique dribbling skills."

The Manchester City manager went on, "I am incredibly impressed with Conor [Bradley], Liverpool's right-back! That guy can accomplish anything, according to Pep Lijnders, who told me a thousand wonderful things about him.

"I am aware of how impressive [he] was against Vinicius in the match versus [Real] Madrid—he is amazing, is not he? And he [Doku] took care of it! We attempted to assist him because he was aggressive and speedy without the ball. He played a fantastic game, you know!

Even though Jeremy Doku has emerged as one of Manchester City's most erratic offensive weapons, Pep Guardiola seems to think that consistency and final-third decision-making are still the best ways to advance his career.

Doku's return to full fitness has been a welcome boost to Manchester City's title chase following an injury-plagued campaign last season. His relationship with Erling Haaland is starting to take shape, as the Belgian's ability to move defenders out of position creates vital openings for the Norwegian to take advantage of.

Pep Guardiola's remarks could serve as crucial inspiration for Jeremy Doku in the future. There is no denying the winger's natural talent, and if he can add more poise in front of goal, City might soon have another top-tier offensive weapon at their disposal.

REVEALED: THE SECRET TWO-WORD MESSAGE ERLING HAALAND SENT TO MAN CITY’S OMAR MARMOUSH

Erling Haaland sends a "Salam Brusjans" message to Man City teammate Omar Marmoush after Egypt's late AFCON win.

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Man City’s Marmoush and Liverpool’s Salah Rescue Egypt in 2-1 AFCON Opener

Erling Haaland, the Man City striker, sent a shout-out to Omar Marmoush after Egypt's crazy late win in the African Cup of Nations. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scored the winning goal in the 91st minute, helping Egypt edge out Zimbabwe in their first game of the tournament.

This win gave one of the teams expected to do well a great start, especially since they had to come from behind to get the points. That goal was Salah's first since he scored in Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League win against Aston Villa in early November. Marmoush tied the game up a little after the hour mark.

After the game, Salah did what he always does and posted pics of himself with the other goal scorers on Instagram.

He put up a picture of himself with Man City’s Marmoush, and Haaland sent a message to his teammate.

The Norwegian wrote, 'Salam Brusjans,' which means 'peace brothers,' and added a thumbs-up emoji.

Even though Egypt won, their coach, Hossam Hassan, thought they could have done better in attack.

We didn't have the best luck. We missed a lot of chances and made things harder on ourselves, he told BeIN Sports. I told the players this could happen, and we need to learn from it.

There are no easy games. We want to try and win the whole thing. Egypt is a big team in Africa and should fight for the trophy.

Egypt is back in action on Boxing Day against South Africa in their group game. Then, on Monday, December 29th (4 pm kick-off), they play Angola.

Meanwhile, Man City is back in the Premier League on Saturday, December 27th (12:30 pm kick-off), when they play Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Sean Dyche's team is now safe from relegation and is five points ahead of West Ham United, who are in 18th place.

SHOCK: ERLING HAALAND’S HALL OF FAME VERDICT REVEALED: THE SECRET TO PEP’S GENIUS

How Erling Haaland smashed Alan Shearer’s records in record time. JUST IN: His SHOCK tribute to Pep Guardiola’s help.

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How Pep Guardiola Recreated a Monster

Ever since Erling Haaland switched from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City in 2022, he's been smashing records left and right. It's cool since his dad, Alfie, played for City, too. Right off the bat, he became the Premier League's top scorer in his first month!

Just a couple of months later, this Norwegian star became the first player to score hat tricks in three home games in a row in the Premier League. By the end of his first season, he was the top scorer with 36 goals—beating Harry Kane by six.

Haaland didn't stop there. He kept breaking records, becoming the fastest player to reach 50, 75, and 100 Premier League goals, beating the legendary Alan Shearer twice.

He's only been in England for barely three years, and this 25-year-old has already snagged two Golden Boots. Now, people are seriously thinking about putting him in the Premier League Hall of Fame.

‘So far, it’s been great to work with him.’

Haaland chatted with JioStar about how much City's manager, Pep Guardiola, has helped him become the superstar he is today.

Since I signed up with City, Pep Guardiola has really helped me tweak my game and get into positions where I can score. He’s a genius, and he’s been a big help in my development as a goal scorer. So far, it’s been great to work with him,” Haaland said.

Guardiola has really turned City around. They were already doing well after the Abu Dhabi United Group bought them in 2008 and won their first title in over 40 years in 2011-12.

But with Guardiola, Man City became a real powerhouse in the Premier League. They've won six out of nine seasons under him, plus the 2022-23 Champions League and two FA Cup titles.

Haaland has been part of two of those seasons—2022-23 and 2023-24. Earlier this year, City were behind Liverpool and Arsenal, but now they’re catching up to Arsenal and are still in the running for their 11th Premier League title.

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