Rayan Cherki was not only one of the key figures in Manchester City’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Bournemouth on Sunday. After the final whistle, the Frenchman was also spotted having an animated tactical discussion with Enzo Maresca directly on the Etihad Stadium pitch.
Is Pep Guardiola still at Manchester City even after his departure? Maresca, taking charge of his first Premier League game as City manager, spent several minutes talking to Cherki immediately after the match, with the discussion taking place on the pitch just moments after the final whistle.
Cherki transformed the game for Manchester City
Cherki had started the match on the bench, a decision he reportedly did not particularly appreciate. Introduced in the 63rd minute, however, the Frenchman completely changed the course of the game. He first delivered the corner headed home by Marc Guéhi for the 84th-minute equaliser before providing another assist for Josko Gvardiol in stoppage time. City, who had been trailing for much of the match, eventually won 2-1. Two assists in less than half an hour was the perfect response from Cherki, but Maresca still had plenty to tell his playmaker afterwards. The City coach was reportedly delighted with his impact and suggested that Cherki now has every opportunity to earn a starting place in the coming weeks.
Read More
For Manchester City supporters, the images inevitably brought back memories of Guardiola. During his years in charge of the Citizens, the Spaniard regularly kept players on the pitch after matches to give them tactical instructions, sometimes recreating runs, pointing out specific areas or explaining exactly what he expected with animated gestures. Seeing Maresca doing something similar with Cherki naturally recalled his former mentor. The Italian spent several years within the Manchester City environment and also embraces an extremely detailed approach to the game.
🚨 Maresca fait déjà son Guardiola avec Rayan Cherki. 😅
Après le coup de sifflet final, l’entraîneur de Manchester City a retenu le Français sur la pelouse pour lui donner un véritable cours tactique, gestes à l’appui.
Une scène qui rappelle forcément Pep avec ses joueurs à…
— Kick Football (@KickFootball_fr) August 24, 2026
It would nevertheless be an exaggeration to describe the scene as a deliberate imitation of Guardiola. More than anything, it showed a coach taking advantage of situations that were still fresh in his player’s mind to continue the tactical work immediately after the game. Even so, the sight of Maresca giving Cherki an impromptu lesson on the Etihad pitch already carried a distinct flavour of the Guardiola era.
