Cherki's two goals and defensive shift seal City's 4-1 win at Crystal Palace

Rayan Cherki scored twice and delivered what Enzo Maresca called a ‘complete’ performance as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park, moving to the top of the Premier League. The 21-year-old Frenchman walked away with the man-of-the-match award after a display that impressed his manager for reasons beyond the scoresheet.

Maresca was quick to highlight Cherki’s defensive contribution alongside his two goals, specifically his work in tracking Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton whenever Palace had possession.

“First of all he loves football. So that makes it easier to work with him. Rayan is like this, we know how good he is,” Maresca said. “We know the quality that he has. In this moment, he is helping the team with the numbers in terms of goals and assists and no doubt he’s going to help more in the future.”

“For sure he’s happy. His performance for me was very good — not just the two goals but the way he worked off the ball. When Palace had the ball, he was in charge of Wharton. I think his game was a complete game on the ball and off the ball.”

Cherki had struggled in the first half at Selhurst Park before coming to the fore after the break, a pattern that echoed his recent trajectory at the club. Just days earlier, Maresca had spoken about how Cherki came off the bench against Bournemouth with a point to prove, having made clear his frustration at not starting. He responded with two assists as City overturned a deficit to win that match.

The back-to-back influential performances suggest Cherki is finding his footing in Maresca’s system, with the City manager underlining that the Frenchman’s willingness to work without the ball is as important to the team as his obvious creative gifts.