City boss: ‘No need to ask Mahrez if he wanted to play’
RIYAD Mahrez knew exactly how to mark his City goal against Tottenham when it came.
As the club record signing explained in a touching interview after the game, it has been a difficult few days for a man that has such a strong connection with the Leicester story and its owner, who tragically died along with four others on Saturday when his helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium following the game with West Ham.
Mahrez admitted he has had trouble sleeping since the incident, yet Pep Guardiola – having worked with the player for less than three months – did not feel the need to ask if the player was fine to play against Tottenham, even though it would have been perfectly understandable if he hadn’t.
If, in part, it was the coach allowing the 27-year-old to deal with things in his own way, there was also the idea that the summer buy is ideal for the big games.
“We spoke with him, how he felt,” said Guardiola.
“It’s a big loss for all the families in Leicester especially and, of course, Riyad was part of that for many, many years. Of course it was tough.
“But I didn’t speak with him in terms of how do you feel to play because I know how competitive he is and how he likes to play on the big events, big stages, and the personality.
“Sometimes playing games helps not to forget – because it’s impossible to forget – but to live it in a better way.”
Still in the infancy of his City career, Mahrez has already started at Wembley against Chelsea in the Community Shield and at the Emirates, Anfield and now Wembley in the Premier League.
When you compare that record to how Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane, admittedly younger, started their time at the Etihad it is clear that Guardiola does see Mahrez as a big-game player.
A lack of goals and assists early on did not deter the manager, nor did the penalty miss at Anfield, and Mahrez is getting more up to speed with exactly what he needs to do and where he needs to be with every minute that passes.
Given Guardiola has twice suggested in the last seven days his team are lacking things both tangible and otherwise in their bid to be a ‘real contender’ for the league and Champions League – a recurring refrain from the manager – his comments on Mahrez suggest the 2016 PFA Player of the Year could be a significant part of the solution. Especially if Mahrez starts the derby next Sunday, 2017 PFA Young Player Leroy Sane and the rest of City’s forwards know they will have to show even more if they want to play in the biggest games.