Riyad Mahrez shares a Lionel Messi gift that could deliver Man City's Champions League dream

How do you replace a player like Lionel Messi? A question Barcelona have found themselves asking this season and one that Pep Guardiola has also possibly asked in years gone by.

Guardiola's glittering stint as Barcelona manager was spearheaded by the Argentina international, though the pair's time together came to an end when Pep made his Camp Nou exit in 2012.

With Messi now 34 and having joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer, it seems unlikely that Guardiola will ever get the chance to manage the diminutive magician again. But one Manchester City star has the ability to offer Pep flashbacks to his time with Messi.

Riyad Mahrez is looking as sharp this season as he ever has since moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2018. The Algeria international has never failed to notch double figures for the season in sky blue - a run he has emphatically continued this time around.

Mahrez has 15 goals in 26 appearances for City in 2021/22 - already his best tally since moving to City - and his brace at the weekend against Fulham ensured any threat of the Championship leaders launching a surprise comeback was soon put to bed.

In the MEN's latest Facebook Live, City Is Ours team members Alex Brotherton and Dom Farrell took the chance to reflect on Mahrez's weekend performance.

Alex started by lauding Mahrez's character after his Algeria side were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations before Dom pointed out a specific trait of the winger's that earned the praise of Pep Guardiola after the win over the Cottagers.

AB: “He’s worked his way back into the side and he’s leading in goal contributions.

“Another great performance from him [against Fulham] and it’s good to see that the disappointment with Algeria clearly hasn’t impacted him too