The Uzbekistan national team's central defender, Abdukodir Khusanov, has taken a significant step towards strengthening his position in Manchester City's starting lineup in the upcoming World Cup. In the 21st round of the English Premier League against Brighton, our 21-year-old legionnaire started - and he truly amazed football analysts and experts with his performance.
True, City fans around the world might have paid more attention to the outcome of the game. But for football fans of the CIS, especially Central Asia, there was a special "show" of this match: the careful observation of every movement, every choice of position, every decision of Abdukodir Khusanov on the field.
Most importantly, he played the full 90 minutes and became one of the only players on the coaching staff who didn't leave any excuse to "protest" him. In short, he served as a "guard of peace" in City's defense.
Error-free gameplay: calmness and composure
Despite his young age, Khusanov acted with the calmness characteristic of experienced players who have seen much in central defense. Brighton's dribbling and speed players have never been able to find their way through his zone. That is, no matter how hard the opponent tries - the door is closed, the key is with Khusanov.
Game indicators don't lengthen the sentence - proof of everything:
- Martial arts (air and ground): 100% victory (4 out of 4)
- Knockout by opponent: 0 (never knockout by one-on-one)
- Violations: 0 (clean play even with high intensity)
- Pass accuracy: 93% (66 out of 71)
- Intercept/Interrupt Attack: 9 Successful Actions
One episode particularly caught the experts' attention: Khusanov, as the last defender, caught up with the opponent's forward who was "leaving with the goalkeeper" and blocked his shot, saving his team from a clear goal. This is not statistics, this is a level. At this point, let's say like fans: "The rescue service arrived - and it wasn't No... but Abdukodir."
Brighton Plan Failed
Experts who closely observed the match emphasized that Brighton's coaching staff intended to remove Khusanov from his position and attempt to disconnect him from the game. But this plan did not work.
Because the Manchester City defender read the episodes one step ahead, he didn't deceive himself with the opponent's feints or false revelations. This is a central defender at the elite level, a characteristic of a true stopper. That is, it plays not only with strength, but also with the head.
Manchester derby ahead
Now Abdukodir Khusanov is facing one of the biggest challenges of the winter season. In the 22nd round, Pep Guardiola's side will face their main rival, Manchester United, at Old Trafford.
In a derby, the pressure is different - speed, duels, and nerves increase several times over. But if Husanov stays in this form, it's clear that there will be huge problems for Manchester United's forwards.
For information: The Manchester United vs. Manchester City super derby, which opens the 22nd round, is scheduled to kick off on January 17th at 5:30 PM Tashkent time.
The conclusion is simple: with this game, Khusanov exaggerated the signal that "I'm not here by chance." Now the most interesting thing is that if this calmness is maintained in the derby, the issue of City's starting position could be resolved much faster.
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