Pep Guardiola cannot ignore Riyad Mahrez impact in Manchester derby selection

Pep Guardiola is not a big fan of statistics – he said so himself earlier this week – but one stat he cannot ignore is the goals column, and Riyad Mahrez’s ever-growing impact on the team is making him almost undroppable.

His exclusion from the Manchester City side in recent weeks has baffled supporters, with Guardiola openly admitting he’s been wanting to pack the midfield to accommodate the trio of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

Despite bouncing back from a disappointing 3-2 loss against Tottenham Hotspur with a 1-0 win against Everton, both performances were criticized for their sloppiness in possession and the slow tempo of transitions. In fact, only a defensive error from the Toffees allowed Phil Foden to slot in City’s winner.

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A common theme from both games is that Mahrez was missing from the starting line-up. Even in the defeat against Spurs, the Algerian came onto the field and with one of his first touches, under massive pressure, slammed in what seemed like a crucial penalty.

Nineteen goals and seven assists so far this season are ridiculous numbers, especially considering his early-season spell out of the side and his involvement with Algeria at the African Cup of Nations.

He’s now operating on a level we haven’t seen from him before. In big moments, in big games, Mahrez is stepping up to the plate for City. It’s a continuation of the form which saw him net once in the Champions League quarter-final and three times across two legs in the semi-finals last season.

All of these reasons make an omission from the starting line-up even more confusing, but surely the 30-year-old will start against Ralf Rangnick’s