Manchester City suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-4 to PSG in the Champions League. However, former England defender Stephen Warnock highlighted a key positive from the disappointment — the display of 19-year-old Ayoub Bouaddi.
PSG struck three goals by the 32nd minute, putting the hosts in a precarious position. The first half revealed that despite a major summer overhaul, City still have issues to resolve in the midfield.
In the break, Enzo Maresca opted for a triple substitution, bringing on Mateus Nunes, Ayoub Bouaddi, and Iliman Ndiaye for Ruben Dias, Ryan Cherki, and Jeremy Doku.
These changes quickly altered the dynamic of the match. Ndiaye provided an assist for Erling Haaland, while Bouaddi played a crucial role in helping City regain control in midfield.
While City had a mere 46% possession in the first half, that figure soared to 62% after the interval.
What’s particularly remarkable is that Bouaddi had only seen 32 minutes of Premier League action before facing PSG.
On BBC's Match of the Day, Stephen Warnock explained why the young midfielder proved so effective.
Warnock stated:
By removing Cherki, they added more toughness and energy to the midfield. Bouaddi was key in that switch.
When he came on, there was a sense of calm in the middle. He enjoys receiving the ball under pressure, and he always knows where to place his next pass.
He dictated the tempo of the game — that's incredibly tough against PSG.
This now presents Maresca with a tricky dilemma: how to fit Bouaddi into the starting XI without sacrificing other stars.
Ryan Cherki offers creativity in the attack, while Enzo Fernandez regularly joins up with Haaland from deeper positions.
However, Fernandez's contributions in the first half left Elliot Anderson without adequate support, allowing PSG to exploit gaps and create numerous chances.
Against opponents of PSG’s calibre, City might explore a setup where Bouaddi and Anderson operate deeper, with either Fernandez or Cherki pushing further forward.
This approach could deliver a more balanced team without compromising their attacking threat.
Despite the loss, Maresca now has a significant reason to consider Bouaddi’s role. The young midfielder demonstrated he can impact the game, even against one of Europe's elite clubs.
