Erling Haaland continued his ruthless goalscoring form in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, but the spotlight shone equally on Rayan Cherki, whose creativity stole the show. As reported by SoftFootball, Haaland in his robot mode got himself a brace, both goals coming from Cherki’s brilliant assists in what looked like the birth of a thrilling partnership.
The young Frenchman, starting only his second Premier League game after recovering from a thigh injury, demonstrated poise, awareness, and vision that drew praise from both fans and his teammates. For the opener, Cherki guided a deft header from Nico González’s pass perfectly into Haaland’s stride, and the Norwegian stormed forward to finish calmly past Bournemouth’s Dorde Petrovic.
His second assist came moments later, threading a through ball that sliced open the defense and allowed Haaland to round Petrovic before finding the net. Haaland could not hide his delight after the match, saying in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account:
We all know his qualities, so it’s about trying to get the best out of everyone. Today he had two amazing assists to me, so hopefully many more.
His comments echoed what SoftFootball previously highlighted about Pep Guardiola’s admiration for Cherki, calling him one of the most gifted young players he has ever managed.
Beyond the assists, Cherki’s performance stood out statistically—85% passing accuracy, two key passes, and three tackles. His ability to operate between the lines and create in tight spaces offered the kind of spark City have missed since Kevin De Bruyne’s departure.
With Haaland now on 13 league goals in 10 matches, and Cherki proving a capable supplier, the duo’s chemistry could become the driving force behind City’s title chase as they look to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
