It’s time that a Manchester City defender gets credit for his performances | OneFootball

One player who has impressed since arriving at Manchester City is Abdukodir Khusanov. The Uzbekistan international arrived at the club from Lens during the January transfer window. Although he made a horror start to his City career against Chelsea, from that moment on, Khusanov has gone from strength to strength. He was arguably Manchester City’s man-of-the-match during their 1-nil defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground yesterday. For the leaps and bounds Khusanov has shown since his debut he deserves plenty of credit. His error on debut is merely a blip as Khusanov proved once again yesterday.

Yesterday’s performance from Abdukodir Khusanov was arguably his best since signing for Manchester City. The young centre-back more than held his own up against the pace and power of Nottingham Forest’s front three. We saw him handle the physical threat of Chris Wood. His pace and defensive acumen were crucial to Pep Guardiola’s side, keeping Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi in check until the game’s closing stages. In possession, Khusanov was once again calm and poised. His ability in possession is growing and we saw that again yesterday. The clip below shows just how good Khusanov was yesterday at the City Ground.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson said Abdukodir Khusanov looked like a deer in the headlights during the early stages of his City career. His quote which was relayed by Football Insider and can be found at the following link. But that assessment and the constant reminders of his error against Chelsea miss the mark. Since then Khusanov has shown why Manchester City were so eager to sign him in January. He once again showed that against Nottingham Forest yesterday up against a quick and powerful opponent. He deserves credit for his performances not derision, and he showed exactly why yesterday at the City Ground.