Riyad Mahrez issues damning questions over quality of Manchester City’s attacking line | OneFootball

Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez has issued a damning analysis of Pep Guardiola’s attacking line last season, perhaps costing the club in key moments.

The Algeria international, now plying his trade with Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, has taken a retrospective look at Manchester City’s 2024/25 struggles, drawing clear contrasts between the current attacking options at the Etihad Stadium and the prolific ensemble he was once part of.

Mahrez, who left Pep Guardiola’s squad in the summer of 2023 after five trophy-laden seasons, claims the club’s recent shortcomings in front of goal stem from a reduction in high-output players within the squad.

Last season marked a noticeable dip in Manchester City’s attacking returns, particularly during the winter period when the squad’s Premier League title defence largely fell apart. Despite strong individual campaigns from some, the collective attacking output failed to match the benchmark set in previous years.

The comments from Mahrez come amid ongoing discussions around squad balance and productivity at City, with Pep Guardiola looking to address concerns through the arrivals of players like Rayan Cherki, while also managing uncertainty around Jack Grealish and James McAtee’s longer-term roles.

Speaking in a new conversation with CARRÉ’s Raphaël Domenach, Riyad Mahrez has questioned the decisiveness of Manchester City’s attacking players, particularly last season when compared to his teammates from his days at the Etihad Stadium.

“I think it was just the end of a cycle; they lost a lot of players,” the Algeria international said when asked about Manchester City’s hugely disappointing 2024/25 campaign as a whole. “We were more high-stat players. So, logically, it increased the level of the team,” he added.

On himself and his teammates, Mahrez continued, “We were elite every year, almost 20 to 25 goals and assists per season. And there were a lot of us at that! When you go from that to players who are also super good but perhaps less decisive, it’s more difficult.

“Even when [Erling] Haaland came, we were still there. My last year, I scored 15 goals with 13 assists. And there’s [Phil] Foden, Bernardo [Silva], [Raheem] Sterling, Jack [Grealish], Kevin [De Bruyne], Gundo [Ilkay Gundogan]…

“We were almost all at more than 20 goals. [Julian] Alvarez also.”

Riyad Mahrez’s comments are likely to reignite debate among Manchester City supporters over the club’s current direction in attack, especially with key figures like Kevin De Bruyne having now left the club and Ilkay Gundogan’s future under scrutiny.

The emphasis now appears to be on integrating fresh attacking talents – such as Oscar Bobb, Claudio Echeverri further down the line, and summer recruit Rayan Cherki – into Pep Guardiola’s tatical framework.

Whether this new generation can replicate the consistent output of Riyad Mahrez and co remains to be seen, but the club will be hoping that a more settled and injury-free campaign, particularly from Erling Haaland, helps alleviate concerns.

Jack Grealish’s uncertain role adds another layer of intrigue, especially amid strong interest from Premier League rivals and doubts over his long-term future in sky blue.