Enzo Maresca Discusses Rayan Cherki's Leadership Skills Amid Impressive Manchester City Form

Enzo Maresca Discusses Rayan Cherki's Leadership Skills Amid Impressive Manchester City Form Rayan Cherki is emerging as a leader on the pitch for Manchester City. Cherki, 23, joined City from Lyon last summer and registered 10 goals and 15 assists in 52 appearances across his debut campaign under former City boss Pep Guardiola. The France international has made the number 10 role his own under Enzo Maresca this season, scoring six goals and providing two assists in his first 11 appearances across all competitions, including a brace at Crystal Palace in August. Cherki struck the free-kick that deflected in for the 73rd minute equaliser against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, before scoring the decisive penalty as the holders won the shootout 4-3 to reach the quarter-final. Speaking at his press conference on Friday afternoon, Maresca was asked whether Cherki could become a future leader at Manchester City . The Italian said: "He can be, yeah! But I think it's important that all the players step up in these kind of things, in terms of leadership, and it's very good from Rayan, for sure!" Maresca named Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma as his captaincy group after taking charge in June as the successor to Guardiola, and Guehi was the sole member of the leadership group who started the Carabao Cup win over Brighton on Wednesday night. Maresca had described Cherki as one of the best players in Europe at his press conference before the trip to Aston Villa , adding that the Frenchman is at his most dangerous when he finds space between the lines and inside the penalty area. The 23-year-old came off the bench to provide two assists in the 2-1 opening-day win over Bournemouth, before starting at Selhurst Park, where Maresca praised his work off the ball in pressing and tracking Adam Wharton during the 4-1 victory. Cherki also scored in the 5-3 win over Sunderland in September, after which he admitted he must contribute more in the final third, whilst his other goals this season include strikes against Liverpool at Anfield and AEK Athens in the Champions League. The France international was booked for a tactical foul at Villa Park last Saturday and replaced at half-time by Phil Foden, who had scored a hat-trick against AEK Athens, and Maresca said on Friday that the pair can play together as an extra option. Haaland, Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Guehi and Donnarumma were all given three days off before the cup tie, with Maresca having hinted at rotation because of the quick turnaround between the two meetings with Fabian Hürzeler's side. Maresca also used Friday's press conference to reflect on his first four months in charge, saying the team is moving in the right direction, whilst warning that Brighton press aggressively, play man-to-man and commit full-backs, wingers and attacking midfielders forward in numbers. The Manchester City manager added that mistakes happen to every player over a long season when asked about Donnarumma, who was beaten by both of Nicolas Jackson's efforts in the defeat at Villa Park last weekend. Antoine Semenyo remains the only absentee for the league fixture, with the winger completing his recovery at the club's facilities after being ruled out for around eight weeks and Maresca saying it is too early to discuss a return date.