Jeremy Doku came to England with a little reputation and joined the treble winners, Manchester City. Riyad Mahrez left the club to continue his career in Saudi Arabia. Pep needed a winger to replace him and signed the 21-year-old Belgian from Rennes. Doku has the pace and skills to beat any defence. He took no time to adjust to the squad and is delivering performances for Pep and his men.
The 21-year-old recently gave the performance of his lifetime. Manchester City scored six goals past Bournemouth in their recent fixture. Doku contributed to five goals and delivered a Man of the Match performance. Let’s take a look at how this winger has added a different dimension to Manchester City’s attack.
Skilful winger
Jeremy Doku is a versatile winger and can play on both flanks. Pep Guardiola has used him on the left side. The 21-year-old has made 11 appearances for his new side combined in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
The above two visuals show the progressive runs, dribbles, and crosses attempted by Doku in the current season. Doku averages 7.6 progressive runs per 90 minutes, and most of them are made to penetrate the opposition penalty box. His dribbling skills are probably one of the best in the world. The winger averages 13.3 dribbles and completes 69% of them. These dribbles and runs allow Doku to get into great positions, and he delivers 4.8 crosses per 90 minutes.
The above pizza chart shows the percentile rank of Doku in comparison to other left-attacking midfielders in the top five leagues in Europe. It can clearly be observed that Doku is the best dribbler and likes to take on defenders inside the opposition penalty box. He averages more than seven touches inside the penalty box per 90 minutes. The winger also has a high percentile rank for winning defensive duels. His speed allows him to get to the ball early, and Doku wins 77.5% of his defensive duels.
End Product
Jeremy Doku’s ability to get past the defenders allows him to create a goal-scoring chance or two. In the current season, Doku has six assists from 15 shot-assist chances. The Belgian attempted four passes into the opposition penalty box per 90 minutes and delivered 71% of these passes. Against Bournemouth, Doku attempted six passes and delivered five.
The 21-year-old has scored three goals so far for Manchester City. Doku is a typical winger who likes to open space for himself and attempt shots towards the far corner. The Belgian has found the bottom corner a couple of times this season.
Jeremy Doku has been an asset for Pep Guardiola. He is another creative option in the team, and with the speed and skills that he has, no one is near him in the Premier League. Doku will look to create more magic and win silverware with the club.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
