Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis have shown that Man City have something Manchester United do not

Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis were arguably Manchester City’s best players against Young Boys on Wednesday night.

In fact, the latter was awarded the Man of the Match award by UEFA for his work. The 18-year-old played like someone 10 years his senior as he drifted between right-back and central midfield. Doku, meanwhile, was a real live wire and perhaps should have added to his three-goal City haul.

The Belgian found himself in acres of space just inside the area on 26 minutes but could only find the palm of goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi. He meanwhile produced several crosses on both wings for teammates that went unconverted.

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Doku started on the right but was asked to swap flanks with Jack Grealish before half-time as City tried to find the breakthrough. Lewis played at right-back when the team was out of possession and in midfield when in it.

The teenager chastised himself for playing Young Boys attacker Meschak Elia onside by centimetres for the equaliser but he should remember that the rest of his shift went almost entirely unblemished.

The pair exemplified a common trait within the first-team roster. Pep Guardiola has kept his squad small and tight but not without recourse. John Stones, Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji are just three players the manager has managed to mould into effective multi-position players.

City have had to cope with a number of stars being injured this season but the squad’s adaptability has meant the team have survived and succeeded for the most part. It turns out Rodri is irreplaceable at the moment but there is room for rotation in nearly every other position.

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