What Pep Said About Doku, After Coming Back from Behind to Beat West Ham 3-1

Pep Guardiola’s triumphant return to the Manchester City dugout was marked by an exhilarating 3-1 victory over previously undefeated West Ham. This thrilling encounter saw Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland rise to the occasion and secure a memorable win for the Citizens.

The match took an unexpected turn when James Ward-Prowse nodded in Vladimir Coufal’s precise cross, putting West Ham in the lead in the 36th minute. However, despite some initial missed opportunities, Manchester City gradually regained their stride.

Doku, who was making his second appearance for City, found himself partly responsible for Ward-Prowse’s second goal in West Ham colors. A momentary lapse saw him concede possession to Coufal, initiating a swift counterattack. Nonetheless, Doku displayed remarkable resilience by redeeming himself with a well-taken equalizer less than a minute into the second half.

Guardiola’s remarks reflected his pride in his team’s performance, especially in the face of adversity. He praised Doku’s evolution as a winger and commended his determination and contribution to the match. It was a significant victory for Manchester City, and Guardiola’s words highlighted the team’s resilience and quality, even in the midst of injury challenges.

After the match, Pep Guardiola shared his thoughts on Manchester City’s remarkable comeback:

“West Ham had many more chances in the second half, but we created against a team that defended so deep. We created so much in the 90 minutes, and I’m so proud of the team.

“A great win for us, and for the [injury] problems we have in the squad, it doesn’t matter for us. The guys always respond well.

“We spoke in halftime; don’t be afraid of the result because you’re playing really well. We were lucky to score the goal immediately [after halftime], but after that, we had to be patient.

“Jeremy (Doku), when I was in Barcelona, I have a feeling he played a little bit shy. That’s normal when you arrive and only have two or three days of training. But [on Saturday], no. Today [Saturday] was a quality winger. From the first minute, with incredible, great determination, he arrived many times to the byline – many good things he did.

Also Read: David Moyes claims that his team did a ‘brilliant’ job after Man City beat them 3-1 at home

“We thought the quality was there, and today he started to prove it.”

Based on Pep Guardiola’s comments, it’s evident that he holds a positive and promising view of Jeremy Doku, Manchester City’s new player.

Guardiola acknowledged that Doku’s initial shyness and adaptation period are normal for a new arrival who has limited training time.

However, in the match against West Ham, Guardiola saw a transformation in Doku’s performance, describing him as a “quality winger” who displayed incredible determination and made numerous positive contributions.

Guardiola’s remarks suggest that he has faith in Doku’s abilities and believes that he has the potential to become a valuable asset to Manchester City.

The fact that Guardiola highlighted Doku’s qualities and progress after just one incredible match indicates a level of confidence and optimism regarding the player’s future contributions to the team.