Gomes continues to impress his boss

CLAUDIO Gomes got his first run-out as a City player in the 2-1 friendly defeat to Liverpool.

Officially announced as a new signing at 7pm on Wednesday evening, the former PSG prospect was on the pitch seven hours later for the second half of this International Champions Cup fixture.

It was nearly a shocking start, with a loose pass with too much zip back to goal sending Joe Hart scrambling to avoid a comical own goal.

But on a dreadful pitch, Gomes quickly gave the impression of a man playing on a carpet.

Happy to shuttle the ball from left to right along the floor, he was as comfortable pinging wedged balls in the air. It was no surprise to see him hanging back at set-pieces, the 18-year-old’s diminutive frame isn’t likely to trouble many opposition defenders.

Mohamed Salah’s introduction around the hour mark saw the Blues quickly on the back foot, and Gomes began to struggle as the cohesion between defence and attack came unstuck. One loss of possession led to a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the area that Salah skied and another brought him a yellow card.

However tough the baptism proved against a Liverpool side with superior fitness, Gomes showed enough with his catalogue of passing to demonstrate why Pep Guardiola is so impressed with the teenager, and with Douglas Luiz not appearing against Liverpool there should be another opportunity in Miami.