Today, there is a "strong movement" among Uzbek footballers playing in foreign championships: almost every week someone scores a goal, someone makes an assist, and someone does something on the field that makes fans say "yes, that's it!". In the past week, Abdukadir Khusanov was once again in the spotlight.
The defender, who has become one of the main links of Manchester City, took part in the match against Fulham in the 26th round of the English Premier League in the middle of the week. Khusanov, who usually plays in the starting lineup in recent matches, started the match from the bench this time. But this does not mean that he "disappeared" - it's just that the scenario has changed.
In the second half, City's performance slowed down a bit, and the opponent began to have good opportunities. Pep Guardiola sensed the situation and in the 60th minute brought on Abdukadir Khusanov instead of Mateusz Nunes. Our compatriot moved to the right wing of the defense and in a short time restored the "base" of order, correct positioning, and reliable defense in that position.
Khusanov, who was on the field for almost half an hour, showed a calm, precise, and tough game. The result also spoke for itself: Manchester City won 3:0, and Abdukadir undoubtedly had a role in this result. After the match, Guardiola's words about Khusanov further encouraged the fans:
"Khusanov's actions on the right wing reminded me of Kyle Walker's best years," said the specialist.
This is not a simple compliment. Guardiola is very careful in choosing who to emulate. So, Khusanov didn't just "do his job" on the field, but felt the game and gave the team the necessary work.
Then on Saturday, Manchester City played against lower league team Salford in the 1/16 round of the FA Cup. In this match, the Manchester team won 2-0, and Khusanov played the full 90 minutes.
There was also an interesting episode in this match: Omar Marmush scored a goal after a very good pass from Abdukadir, but the goal was disallowed for offside. However, the quality of the pass and the decision to start the attack showed how much Khusanov influenced the game.
In the match against Salford, he played in the center of defense and especially stood out with his long-range passes. According to statistics, Khusanov made 3 “long balls”, 2 of which were accurate. Most impressively, he made a total of 11 defensive moves, which is the best result among defenders.
The conclusion is simple: Abdukodyr Khusanov is not just another foreign player for City at the moment. He is becoming one of the most important players who works in the team system, balances the game at the right time and inspires confidence on the field. And for fans, this is the most pleasant news: Khusanov’s week was not “a passing game”, but a “signal of its own”.
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