MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 19: Rayan Cherki of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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If there was a player who embodied the difference between Manchester City and Arsenal in Sunday’s encounter at the top of the Premier League table, it was Rayan Cherki. Not only did the Frenchman score a wonderful individual opener, dribbling through the Arsenal defence, he gave City a creative edge all over the field.

In just 1,471 minutes in the Premier League this season, Cherki has registered 10 goals and 10 assists. He is the only player in the English top flight to have achieved this, illustrating the influence he is having on Manchester City less than a season after he made the move from Lyon.

“How old is he? So young,” said Pep Guardiola about Cherki after the win over Arsenal. “As much as you want to learn or this sense of being incredibly competitive, he’ll become a top player because the goal he has scored is Rayan Cherki. This cannot be taught, it’s just his amazing talent.”

Cherki might well be the signing of the season. He has given City a different dimension when it desperately needed one after the summer departure of Kevin De Bruyne. Cherki is a different sort of playmaker to the Belgian, but he is clearly Manchester City’s most trusted inventor in the final third.

Other new signings have made a positive impact in the Premier League this season. Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens settled in quickly at Manchester United. Hugo Ekitike also scored 11 league goals as Liverpool’s new centre forward before suffering a season-ending injury.

Nobody, however, has changed the character of a new team as much as Cherki has. Guardiola hasn’t always been on the same page as the Frenchman whose individualism clearly irks the Manchester City manager at times. There’s no denying, though, that City would be worse off without him.

Sunday’s victory over Arsenal put Manchester City in control of its title race destiny. Indeed, Guardiola’s side will go top of the Premier League table with a win over Burnley on Wednesday. With just six games left of the 2025/26 campaign, the momentum appears to have swung towards City.

If Manchester City is to win a seventh Premier League title in nine years, Cherki will have played his part. Erling Haaland might be City’s most reliable goalscorer with Rodri still arguably the best central midfielder in the world, but Cherki is the one pushing the team towards the top of the table.