How Rayan Ait-Nouri can solve Manchester City's left back problem
Manchester City's routine 6-0 win over Emirati side Al Ain will not live long in Pep Guardiola's memory but it could end up being a seminal moment in his reign.
For the first time in 1,407 days Guardiola started a match with a senior recognised left back, Rayan Ait-Nouri, in his team.
The most recent senior specialist left back to have played for City was Benjamin Mendy, whose final appearance came on the opening day of the 2021-22 season in a 1-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.
Soon after, the France defender was suspended after being charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He was later found not guilty in January 2023. Mendy left the club in June that year after his contract expired.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
Chelsea cruise past Esperance, to face Benfica in Club World Cup knockout
PHILADELPHIA, June 24 (Reuters) - Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Tyrique George saw Chelsea's second-string side secure a place in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their final Group D match on Tuesday. Group winners Flamengo were held 1-1 by Los Angeles FC to finish on seven points, one ahead of Chelsea. Esperance finished third with three points while LA FC were bottom with one point. Chelsea next face Group C winners Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, while Flamengo take on Bayern Munich, Group C runners-up, in Miami on Sunday. Despite the stakes, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to rotate his squad once more, resting key players such as Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. He was missing striker Nicolas Jackson, who will also be unavailable against Benfica as he serves a two-match suspension following his red card in Friday's 3-1 loss to Flamengo. Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.66 million) signing from Ipswich Town, came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute but his header was cleared off the line. Chelsea dominated possession in a lacklustre first half but struggled for creativity in the final third, with Delap squandering another golden chance in the 30th minute when he missed the target from close range. The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Adarabioyo rose highest to head the ball into the bottom left corner. Moments later Delap doubled Chelsea's lead, capitalising on a loose ball inside the box, cutting inside a defender and finishing neatly into the far corner. The second half saw Chelsea largely control proceedings without pressing for a third goal and their resolute defensive display ensured there was no way back for Esperance. The London side made it 3-0 when substitute George fired home from the edge of the box deep in added time.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Liam Delap scores first goal for Chelsea as Blues progress to last 16
Liam Delap scored his first Chelsea goal as the Premier League side reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis. The former Ipswich forward struck just moments after defender Tosin Adarabioyo had opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time of their final Group D game in Philadelphia. Tyrique George scored a third in time added on at the end of the game after Chelsea had a penalty awarded for handball overturned by VAR. The result means the Londoners will now face Benfica – surprise winners of Group C ahead of Bayern Munich – in the next round in Charlotte on Saturday. It was an occasion when Delap began paying back his £30million fee. With Nicolas Jackson suspended, the 22-year-old – one of just three players to retain his place as manager Enzo Maresca stuck to his plan to rotate his side – had an opportunity to cement his place. It was a chance he took on what was a hot and sticky night in Pennsylvania, with the temperature still 33C when the game kicked off at 9pm local time. His goal – coming in a quickfire double, both created by Enzo Fernandez – put the game beyond doubt before the interval. With FIFA president Gianni Infantino watching on, the Blues had already dominated the opening period. Chelsea, with a superior goal difference to Esperance, knew a draw would be sufficient to secure the runners-up spot in the group behind Flamengo. That put the onus on Esperance but, despite some attacking vibrancy, they lacked the quality up front. Delap created the first chance of the night when he skipped around two challenges but his shot was comfortably saved by Bechir Ben Said. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has been linked with West Ham, got in a header from a Malo Gusto cross but it looked to be going wide before Yassine Meriah headed clear. Josh Acheampong forced Ben Said to save from distance but the flag was raised before Delap could get to the rebound. Another good move led to Fernandez blasting wide but Chelsea finally took control with their quickfire double in first-half stoppage time. Adarabioyo opened the scoring with a well-placed header across goal after rising to meet a Fernandez free-kick. Fernandez was again the provider as the Londoners doubled their lead moments later. This time he chipped forward for Delap and the striker turned brilliantly to beat one defender and flick past another before rolling the ball past a statuesque Ben Said. Nukunku appealed for a penalty after going down early in the second half but nothing was given before Noni Madueke sent a shot narrowly wide. Chelsea were awarded a spot-kick when an Andrey Santos effort from distance struck the arm of Meriah. It seemed a harsh decision but there was a long delay, with Christopher Nkunku stood over the ball waiting to take it, before the referee was called over the monitor. Chelsea finally got the third goal their superiority deserved when substitute George's shot squirmed through Ben Said's grasp.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Liam Delap opens Chelsea account in Club World Cup win over Espérance
It must be tough to play free-flowing football when it feels as if the game is being staged in an airless hotel room and nobody knows how to turn off the central heating. Chelsea nonetheless managed to keep their cool in suffocating conditions in Philadelphia, securing their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup thanks to a composed 3-0 victory over Espérance. This was a positive night for Enzo Maresca, who encountered few problems after trusting his second string to see off the Tunisian champions. Liam Delap scored his first goal for his new club and although Chelsea finished behind Flamengo in Group D there are benefits to going through in second place. After all a date with Bayern Munich on Saturday has been swerved, albeit more by luck than judgment after Benfica took advantage of Vincent Kompany's disastrous attempt at rotation by nabbing top spot in Group C with a shock 1-0 win over the German champions on Tuesday afternoon. Of course, Chelsea should not take anything for granted when they head to Charlotte to face Benfica, who are experienced competitors at Champions League level. Equally, though, the picture does look rosier than after last Friday's ragged 3-1 defeat to Flamengo. A humiliating early exit has been avoided and Maresca will be pleased to have rested Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto and Reece James against opponents as limited as Espérance. There was a distinct Conference League group stage vibe to Maresca's starting 11. He made eight changes, gave Filip Jorgensen a chance in goal, handed Christopher Nkunku his first start in attack since 17 April and caused a meltdown on social media by again finding no place for Andrey Santos in midfield, despite it being fairly standard practice for a manager to ease in a young player who has been with his new teammates for under two weeks. Maresca pointed out that there are tactical nuances for Santos to absorb. This was Chelsea's 60th game of a gruelling campaign and if one thing has become clear during Maresca's first year in charge it is that his system takes time to understand. Malo Gusto inverting from left-back and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall operating on the right wing rather than in central midfield summed up those complexities. Not that Chelsea carried out the plan well at first. Was it the consequence of the heatwave making it impossible to train properly? It was still 35C by kick-off at Lincoln Financial Field and the added treat of high humidity levels made it hard for Chelsea. The first 10 minutes were lethargic. Tosin Adarabioyo headed wide from a corner, but Espérance soon found gaps at the other end. Gusto was caught out of position, only for the defender to race back to deny Elias Mokwana, and there was more concern when Yan Sasse got behind Josh Acheampong on the opposite flank. Chelsea responded with Nkunku finding Delap, who turned and shot at Bechir Ben Said from 20 yards. They began to dominate and almost scored when Enzo Fernandez combined with Gusto on the left. Dewsbury-Hall should have done better with a free header. Ben Said, looking increasingly suspect, then got away with spilling a shot from Acheampong. Enzo Fernandez whacked a volley wide after good play from Noni Madueke, who was Chelsea's most dynamic player during the first half. Nkunku, who has struggled for form and fitness, drifted into pockets of space. Perhaps Maresca can still find a use for the forward if no buyer for the France international emerges this summer. Nkunku certainly has his merits, particularly in the opposition box. It is more that he continues to look out of place in this setup. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Yet Chelsea were pressing as half-time approached. Espérance were not up to much. They cracked when Acheampong drove forward during stoppage-time and won a free-kick on the right. Fernandez crossed and Tosin guided in a clever header. Pressure lifted, Chelsea pushed again before the interval, the advantage doubled when Delap swivelled on the left, barrelled into the area and shot with his right instep. Ben Said, weirdly, did little but stand rooted to his line, making no attempt at a save despite the ball rolling in fairly centrally, like an outfield player having a reluctant turn in goal during a casual five-a-side game. Chelsea controlled the second half. Madueke and Nkunku shot narrowly wide; Tyrique George and Marc Guiu came on and were thwarted by Ben Said. Maresca was content and withdrew Delap, giving the striker a breather given that Nicolas Jackson will still be unavailable against Benfica after his red card against Flamengo. There was even a late runout for Santos, who appeared to have made a swift impact when his shot was handled and a penalty was awarded, only for the decision to be overturned after a VAR review. It made no difference. Flamengo will face Bayern after drawing 1-1 with Los Angeles FC. Chelsea still eased into the knockout stages, earning £7m in the process, gloss added to the scoreline when Ben Said failed to deal with a powerful shot from George from long range.
