MAH-MITE IS TASTY! OUBTERS
HAT-TRICK COULD WIN OVER RIYAD’S CITY DO
RIYAD MAHREZ is Mr Marmite at Manchester City.
But even those City fans who feel the Algerian is lucky to be anywhere near Pep Guardiola’s multi-talented side will be loving him this week.
Mahrez helped himself to a hattrick as City romped to another emphatic victory over beleaguered Burnley.
Benjamin Mendy – another Guardiola signing who splits opinion among the locals – also got in on the action with his first goal for the club.
And Ferran Torres again served notice that City have found another winger with a lethal finish.
Guardiola said: “In the last week Riyad has looked much better, much sharper. It depends on the players if they stay in the team. If they are fit and playing well then I won’t rotate. I will play them until they are tired.
“This will help, especially Riyad, but the others like Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling also have to score goals when they play.”
Hitting the net had been a problem for City this season.
And when Sergio Aguero reported some pain in the knee that had been operated on during the summer, Guardiola decided to take no risks.
After all, Burnley are City’s whipping boys. Guardiola’s side have now scored five goals in each of the Clarets’ last four visits to east Manchester.
“Playing so many games means the players lose the joy of playing football,” said Guardiola in another dig at the fixture pile-up.
His words might have made Sean Dyche raise an eyebrow.
Guardiola had the luxury of naming Sterling, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva on the bench and allowing Aymeric Laporte to put his feet up.
Dyche, in contrast, was forced to hand Bailey Peacock-Farrell his Premier League debut after England keeper Nick Pope joined a casualty list including Jack Cork, Josh Brownhill, Dale Stephens and Robbie Brady.
And 20- ye a r - o l d midfielder Josh Benson was also given his first taste of the top flight.
“The reality to our situation is that if we have a few injuries then we’re going to suffer,” ffer,” said Dyche.
“When a top team turns up like City did then it is s always going to be tough – but there are no easy games in the Premier League. ague.
“We’ve been here many times before. Maybe ybe it’s a bit like positive advertising. If you get flooded with the same information mation that we always lose
This will help, especially Riyad, but the others like Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling also have to score goals when they play
by five here then maybe the players start to believe it’s going to happen again.”
The last thing Dyche needed was Mahrez on a mission and Kevin De Bruyne producing a masterclass.
De Bruyne provided Mahrez with the opening goal in the sixth minute with a pass that was routine by his standards. But the caressed cross which whic i nv i t ed e
Mendy to volley home
City’s third four minutes before the break was more than a bit special.
In between, Mahrez scored again when Burnley switched off as Kyle Walker shaped to take a throw-in in the 22nd minute.
He slalomed inside Ben Mee and James Tarkowski before burying a leftfoot shot in the corner.
“Of course, it’s nice to score goals, but the most important thing was that we won,” said Mahrez.
Burnley made more of a fight of it in the second half but Torres struck from Jesus’ unselfish pass in the 66th minute and three minutes later Mahrez claimed the match ball with a fierce header after Foden had served up a delicious cross from the left.
“The third was my favourite goal,” he said.
“I don’t score many headers so I am happy.”