Rayan Cherki made his first appearance in a Manchester City shirt as Pep Guardiola’s men won 2-0 in their opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup.
City fans worldwide would have rubbing their hands at the prospect of watching the Frenchman being named into the starting line-up straight away.
However, Rayan Cherki did not have his best game against the Moroccan side.
The 21-year-old clearly seemed like he was still adjusting to life under Pep Guardiola and alongside his new teammates as he was dispossessed a fair few times, spatially unaware and still getting to grips with the tactical setup.
While Cherki claimed he was ready for Guardiola’s system, his latest outing showed that it could take time before the youngster looks like his best self.
Pep Guardiola should not have played Rayan Cherki as a false nine for Man City vs Wydad AC
However, one reason why Rayan Cherki seemed to struggle is because Pep Guardiola deployed him as a false nine in Manchester City’s victory against Wydad AC.
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In the opening exchanges of Tuesday’s contest, the former Lyon midfielder was deployed as a number 10 but soon after, Guardiola deployed him in a more advanced position.
Cherki considers himself an attacking midfielder and playing up front did not suit his game whatsoever as the silky technician was tasked with battling centre-backs, playing with his back to goal and not getting enough of the ball.
FBL-WC-CLUB-2025-MATCH13-CITY-WYDAD
Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
Considering the highly-rated attacker’s biggest strength is his final ball, it was a surprise to see Pep Guardiola task a forward like Omar Marmoush to drift out wide and his latest addition to lead the line.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Cherki’s display against Wydad AC is that he thrives when facing the pitch as the Manchester City new-boy seemed to be linking up his teammates well and looking for killer passes in deeper zones.
When Guardiola starts Erling Haaland next, it is likely that the French international feels much more at home while being asked to solely focus on creating chances.
While a counterargument can be made that Cherki could have roamed across the pitch, the false nine is quite a complex role to master and potentially one where he could look more comfortable over time.
Rayan Cherki stats for Man City vs Wydad AC in Club World Cup clash
The stats back up how much the debutant struggled in his first outing for the Sky Blues.
RAYAN CHERKI STATS FOR MAN CITY VS WYDAD AC
TOUCHES 35
PASSES INTO THE FINAL THIRD 1
CHANCES CREATED 1
SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES 1/2
XG + XA 0.05
First things first, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola might especially have to rethink his decision of playing Cherki as a false nine after realising he only had 35 touches of the ball against Wydad AC.
Considering Cherki completed one of his two dribbles, made just one pass into the final third and created the sole chance as well, it is clear as day that playing him in his natural position would suit him far better.