Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has told the club’s official website that he thinks Joao Cancelo has ‘incredible quality’.
City were in action on Saturday evening, beating Newcastle United 2-0 in a rather comfortable Boxing Day victory.
Raheem Sterling set up Ilkay Gundogan for the opener, before Ferran Torres fired home the second when Newcastle couldn’t deal with a Cancelo cross.
That’s another clean sheet for City, who have now conceded just one Premier League goal in their last six outings.
John Stones has been a key part of the defensive improvement, but so has full back Cancelo, who is really excelling in Guardiola’s back four.
The Portuguese speedster has been a threat going forward with his ability to beat a man and set up chances, whilst he is also making a number of interceptions to read the game well at the back.
Cancelo joined City for a huge £60million in 2019 – thought that was offset by selling Danilo to Juventus in exchange – and he didn’t really get going in his first season at the club.
Guardiola has now heaped praise on Cancelo, suggesting that he has ‘incredible quality’ and could even play again today if needed, because his fitness levels are so good.
Guardiola added that he thinks Cancelo can be distracted, with is ‘dangerous’ for any defender, but he thinks he has a great partnership with Bernardo Silva down the right flank.
“In the beginning when he arrived, it wasn’t easy for us – him or me,” said Guardiola. “Now, we understand a lot of things. He’s a player with incredible quality, and his regeneration and physicality is incredible. He could play tomorrow!”
“But he always has to be focused. He can be distracted, which is dangerous for a defender. In the final third, he has a special quality. He has courage. Sometimes I ask him to play in different positions than what he is comfortable with. In the second half, especially next to his friend Bernardo, he was very good,” he added.
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