Jeremy Doucoue is ready to continue Manchester City’s Belgian success story.
City defeated West Ham United 3-1 in the fifth round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) at the London Stadium in London, England, at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday. With an unbeaten start to the season, City are alone atop the PL table, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
With Pep Guardiola back on the bench, City started Elling Holland, Dockoo, Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Rodriguez, Yossouko Gvardiol, Juventus Dias, Manuel Akanji, Kyle Walker, and Ederson. While the 4-2-3-1 formation was deployed, Guardiola utilized some of his signature unorthodox tactics, with Silva moving forward and Gervinho lining up in the middle with Rodriguez, depending on the situation.
City struggled in the first half. They conceded a goal in the 36th minute to James Ward-Prowse as their offense struggled to get going. After a disappointing first half, the second half was a completely different story. Doku’s goal was the catalyst. In the first minute of the second half, Dokou cut in alone from the left flank and fired a shot that rattled the West Ham net.
After Dokou’s goal, City brought on Mateusz Nunes to play in the center of the field with Silva on the right. With the added mobility, City overwhelmed West Ham and broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when Silva scored. In the 41st minute, Holland added a second goal to effectively put the game out of reach. The game ended with a 3-1 victory for City.
The player who contributed the most to the come-from-behind win was Dokuda. From the left flank, Dokuta constantly rattled the West Ham defense. Although he was blocked in the first half, he really showed his quality after scoring the second goal. When Guardiola moved into the middle, he sometimes had to defend like a wing-back, which he did effortlessly and reliably.
His dribbling was excellent. His pace and footwork made the West Ham defense shake in an instant, and Holland and Alvarez took advantage of the gaps to create chances. Dokou continued to make crucial passes and create chances. On the day, Doku had three shots, three key passes, three successful dribbles, two fouls, a 100% tackle success rate (two attempts, two successful), five recoveries, and seven contests. Soccer stats outlet FútbolScore.com gave him the highest rating and named him Man of the Match.
Doku, who joined the club this summer, cost €60 million. He was seen as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who went to Saudi Arabia. Mahrez had been a solid performer for a long time as a flanker, but he was getting older, had ups and downs in his game, and wasn’t as destructive as he used to be. The decision to let Mahrez go and bring in Dokou minimized the gap. 먹튀검증
Dokou has been called the best dribbler in Europe during his time at Stade Rennes. From a young age, he was considered one of the best dribblers in the world. He quickly established himself in the Belgian national team. He was born in 2002, and despite his young age, he has a lot of experience and a lot to prove.