With Manchester City facing a shortage of options in defence, Abduqodir Husanov is steadily becoming one of the team’s most important figures. The 21-year-old legionnaire has been starting almost every game in January across the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
A new solid wall: the Husanov–Alleyn partnership
In particular, Husanov’s reliable displays—alongside young centre-back Max Alleyn, who returned from a loan spell at Watford—have brought stability to the heart of defence and caught the attention of fans and experts alike. Cool on the ball, calm under pressure, and decisive in physical duels—Abduqodir’s on-pitch qualities are exactly what City need right now.
What are the fans saying?
Comments about Husanov have surged on Manchester City’s official social media pages. We selected a few to convey the fans’ mood to our readers.
Farid, for instance, says Husanov’s value could soon reach €100 million. That’s no coincidence: Abduqodir looks like a “finished product” in every match. Emmanuel Singogo stressed that City should keep giving Husanov and Alleyn opportunities to prove themselves. Among fans, the feeling that “it’s time to trust the youngsters” is clearly growing.
Njabulo Mapapo raises an interesting question: “If we have Husanov and Alleyn, why do we need to sign Marc Guehi?” The new duo inspires so much confidence that even transfer debates are starting to sound different.
Hashim Saidioffered a short but sharp verdict: a brilliant performance from the centre-backs. Robert Kariuki admits, “Husanov is even stronger than we thought.” The most detailed take came from Tenday Kadungure : he precisely describes Abduqodir’s development, noting that in earlier games not everyone even trusted him to receive passes, whereas now he is organising and controlling the entire defence. In other words, this isn’t just a good run of form—it’s a rapid adaptation to top-level football.
Some fans even wrote that City now have two new walls. Taffay Jim says he is genuinely happy for the two defenders, while Gatuɔc Yian Pal calls him “General Husanov,” highlighting his leadership role on the pitch.
Maxwell Wittyis also baffled: “I don’t understand why Husanov is ever left on the bench!” That alone shows how much trust in Abduqodir has grown. Neo Sifesixle describes Husanov in two dimensions: he helps build his team’s attacks and breaks up the opponent’s. That’s one of the key requirements for a modern centre-back.
Rachid Benzin writes, “the new defensive partnership is making a big impression on us,” while Jay Romeo Mxango Xala even drew a bold conclusion: “After Husanov’s solid performances, Dias isn’t needed anymore.” Of course, that’s emotion—but emotion is born from confidence too.
Yorf Onkokame said Husanov could also be used at right-back. Hr Antonio believes that after this duo, City could even let Stones and Akanji go. Chunchong Vat clearly lists Husanov’s strengths: quick, powerful, unafraid of physical battles, needs consistent minutes—and even called him the best signing of last winter’s transfer window.
Neon Neon shares a similar view: Husanov closes down opponents quickly and wins the ball almost every time. Elias Obono adds another key point: once Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are fit again, they will have to work extremely hard to win their places back.
Competition and the future
Fans rate Husanov’s pace and ball-winning ability highly. Some even believe he can fully replace stars like Stones and Akanji. However, when City’s main defenders—Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol—return from injury, Abduqodir will need to work hard to keep his spot.
For now, “General Husanov” (as fans call him) continues to make his mark on English pitches and is being recognised as City’s new “wall.”
One conclusion: right now, Abduqodir Husanov is simply taking his chance at City—and turning it into results. The new duo, Husanov and Alleyn, is bringing confidence at the back, and that is the biggest win for the Citizens: even with a tough schedule, the team is starting to feel calm defensively. The main task now is to maintain this tempo and gain even more experience with every match.
Do you think Abduqodir Husanov can keep his place in the starting XI after Ruben Dias returns?
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