Matheus Nunes: Is Man City’s forgotten man about to replace the world’s best midfielder? | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola expressed sympathy after Manchester City secured a 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the Champions League this week.

City displayed their ruthless form, with Norwegian striker Erling Haaland scoring a brace, including an early contender for goal of the season.

However, the performance of a previously overlooked City midfielder garnered praise, with many observers believing he deserved the player-of-the-match award, which ultimately went to Phil Foden.

Matheus Nunes made a rare start on City’s left flank in a 4-1-4-1 formation, a system that became Pep Guardiola’s trademark during his time at Bayern Munich, and to say he maximised his playing time would be an understatement.

Nunes set up two of City’s goals before scoring one from the penalty spot, City’s fifth goal. With this achievement, he became the first Portuguese player since Cristiano Ronaldo in November 2015 (for Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donetsk) to assist two goals and score a goal in a Champions League match.

Guardiola was understandably pleased but regretted that Nunes hadn’t been significantly involved this season. However, this could change as City will play five games in 15 days, starting with Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

“[He was] really good – when he scored a goal, you can see how happy his team-mates are. He is incredibly beloved and he is a lovely guy,” he said.

“He has a specific quality. In transitions, he is as fast as Erling [Haaland]. When he runs for 30-40 metres, no one can stop him. He has a special quality that we don’t have. That’s why we need him and he can play in many roles.

“The only problem he has is one, his manager doesn’t give him the minutes he deserves. He’s ready always and he can help us. With the circumstances we have now, with 15 players plus goalkeepers available, it’s important to have him.”

City signed Nunes from Wolves at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window for a reported £53 million. However, not many supporters could have predicted how his career at the Etihad Stadium would unfold.

There has been a noticeable lack of opportunities for him and uncertainty about his best role within Guardiola’s tactical setup. As the Spanish tactician has pointed out, Nunes possesses explosive pace and power in his long strides — rare traits among Manchester City players. These qualities have been seen in recent times primarily in players like Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Touré.

Nunes has made nine appearances this season, including three starts, two of which were in the Champions League, resulting in two goals and three assists (effectively a goal involvement every 59 minutes).

Guardiola has compared him to De Bruyne, and there is now a vacancy in City’s midfield that needs to be filled — especially with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva potentially needed out wide, given that Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish are unavailable.

Nunes received the nod on the left against Sparta Prague, with Bernardo and Foden playing centrally. However, it’s fair to say that he has yet to establish a definitive role in Guardiola’s system, having played in four positions: defensive midfielder (DM), central midfielder (CM), attacking midfielder (AM), and left midfielder (LM).

He has a unique opportunity to demonstrate his abilities with favourable fixtures ahead and key rivals injured. A player whom Guardiola once described as “one of the best players in the world” may finally be ready to justify that significant investment.