Jeremy Doku is an atypical Pep Guardiola player but his unique threat is becoming a potent weapon for Man City; watch Man Utd vs Man City live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 3pm on Sunday; kick-off 3.30pm
Sunday 29 October 2023 15:00, UK
James Milner will not forget his first meeting with Jeremy Doku. The only positive for him is that it did not last long.
The 37-year-old was mercifully substituted at half-time at the Etihad Stadium after becoming just the latest Premier League defender to be left dizzied and disorientated by Manchester City's new No 11.
For Brighton, the damage was already done. Doku set up Julian Alvarez's opener. Erling Haaland added another. Roberto De Zerbi's side were beaten.
The assist was Doku's second of the season. He has scored two goals too. But those numbers do not reflect the true extent of his impact. The 21-year-old has given City a new dimension.
Pep Guardiola has even recalibrated his team in order to maximise it. City's midfield is more compact than last season, with Opta's average positions showing them closer to the centre of the pitch.
The idea, at least in part, is to drag opposition players away from their left flank, giving Doku the best possible chance of isolating his full-back and utilising his speed and dribbling ability most effectively.
The result is that Doku ranks behind only Bukayo Saka and Dejan Kulusevski for one-on-ones in the Premier League this season - and that despite only starting five out of City's nine games.
His average of 17.5 per 90 minutes is by far the highest in the league.
Milner was subjected to nine of them in those opening 45 minutes at the Etihad last weekend and it was not the first time this season City have looked to Doku's flank to find a way through.
They direct a higher proportion of attacks down their left when Doku starts and it is little wonder given he is averaging 4.5 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, more than any other player, and that, once he gets into the box, he is capable of delivering too.
"As a winger in the final third, he has special quality," said Guardiola earlier this season. "We try to use him for that."
What is fascinating is how much Doku differs in style from Jack Grealish, the player he is effectively replacing when he starts on City's left flank, and the comparative freedom he is given.
Grealish's rough edges were smoothed out following his arrival from Aston Villa two years ago. Guardiola and his coaching staff worked hard to temper his spontaneity with tactical discipline.
But with Doku they have taken a different approach, allowing the youngster to play to his strengths. Guardiola has likened his explosiveness to that of his former wingers Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane. Risk-taking is being encouraged.
The stylistic differences with Grealish can be seen in the statistics.
Doku averages more touches and yet attempts considerably fewer passes, his propensity to dribble also meaning he loses possession - normally a cardinal sin to Guardiola - far more frequently.
The pair create chances at a similar rate, but Doku, being such a dangerous outlet in transition, tends to play higher up. He has more touches in the opposition box and attempts more shots too.
Guardiola described Grealish as "more controlled" when discussing the pair after the Brighton game. "He doesn't have the one-v-one speed, but the control, the assists, he has always had," he added of Grealish. Perhaps most impressive about Doku, though, is that he has other sides to him too.
In the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in September, for example, he showed his capacity to retain possession when the circumstances demand it, completing 21 out of his 22 passes.
More recently, in his substitute appearance in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, he showed his appetite for the defensive aspect of his role, making more tackles and interceptions combined (six) in 22 minutes on the pitch than any of his team-mates managed all game.
None of this is to say Grealish is a worse option.
The 28-year-old was outstanding in City's treble-winning campaign and provided a reminder of his considerable quality on his return to the side in Wednesday's Champions League win over Young Boys.
But, with more and more teams adopting man-to-man marking tactics up and down the Premier League, Guardiola acknowledged the need for something different during the summer.
Players, like Doku, who could beat their markers through dribbling, were prioritised. Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes, signed from Chelsea and Wolves respectively, possess that same ball-carrying ability but Doku's capacity for it is on another level.
According to Opta, the Belgium international ranks second in the Premier League for carries per 90 minutes and top for shot-ending carries. He is carrying the ball, on average, 224 metres per 90 minutes - far further than any other attacker in the division.
Guardiola is not the only one adjusting his team on Doku's behalf. The same is true of Manchester City's opponents, who are scrambling to find ways of combatting him.
Roberto De Zerbi did so mid-game, swapping Milner for Joel Veltman and trying to cut off Doku's supply line, while Wolves boss Gary O'Neil detailed his own attempts on Monday Night Football.
Those attempts involved changing the balance of his entire team, placing an extra body on Doku's side to ensure right-back Nelson Semedo was not left isolated against him.
O'Neil's tactics helped Wolves hold off City and secure a memorable 2-1 win, but even in that context Doku's threat remained.
In fact, while he did not score or assist any goals, Doku had more shots (six), created more chances (four) and completed more dribbles (six) than in any other game this season.
It goes to show that even the best-laid plans might not be enough to stop him. And City's win over Young Boys, during which Doku showed he can be just as dangerous from the opposite flank, has now complicated the situation for City's opponents further.
It leaves Erik ten Hag with plenty to ponder ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby. United's full-backs, meanwhile, will head into the game knowing that, with Doku in contention to start again, they will face a fight to avoid the same fate as Milner last weekend.
Watch Man Utd vs Man City live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 3pm on Sunday; kick-off 3.30pm
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