Step aside Erling Haaland because Manchester City have a new goalscoring sheriff in town!
Josko Gvardiol signed for Manchester City in the summer for his defensive capabilities, versatility at the back and strength in defensive duels.
The 22-year-old took his time in settling in under Pep Guardiola, but as the season has gone on, he has grown into a key player for Manchester City.
Whilst the defensive side of Josko Gvardiol’s game has still been top-notch, it has been overshadowed by what he has been doing in the attacking third.
He scored a stunning right-footed curler against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That’s incredible and memorable enough for any opposition attacker, never mind, a defensive one.
But Gvardiol has since topped that off by scoring four Premier League goals in recent weeks, including a recent brace at Fulham.
Shaun Wright-Phillips hailed Man City’s new star for what he has been doing of late and also shared what the club’s analyst recently said about him, as he told Premier League Productions (13/05/24 at 2:15 pm).
Gvardiol is naturally left-footed, oh so people think, but it seems as though the brains at Man City aren’t entirely sure because he ‘hits the ball so cleanly’ that they feel he is probably right-footed.
Josko Gvardiol’s goals for Manchester City
“I was pitchside (for Real Madrid v Man City) and I was watching them doing shooting, he was the only defender doing the shooting with the attackers,” said Wright-Phillips.
“I said to one of my mates, he actually strikes the ball so cleanly for a fullback on both feet. I remember his goal going in and I was by that Manchester City analyst. One of them jumped up and said ‘See, I told you, he is right-footed’.
“But he actually isn’t, he is left-footed. He hits the ball so cleanly with both feet that he is just quality in those areas.”
Josko Gvardiol in years to come
The Croatian defender only turned 22 in January and he has the world ahead of him when it comes to winning trophies and dominating football from the back.
There is a reason why Man City paid so much money for him because they know he will be a regular at the back for years and years to come.
At centre-back is where he thrives in at most, but he hasn’t even played there on a regular basis.
Guardiola has used the player at left-back most of the time – 29 matches in all competitions – with the other ten at centre-back.
So, when he does earn regular starts at the heart of defence, that’s when fans will see him really take off.
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