Riyad Mahrez was an unused substitute in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Fulham, despite scoring in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Sevilla, and the 31-year-old may be wondering if he’s finally lost Pep Guardiola’s trust after poor Premier League play.
Mahrez has made 16 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring three goals with one assist. He’s netted just one goal in nine Premier League games and hasn’t made an assist since April, so Guardiola has been patient with him while he’s underperformed.
The Algerian international has played in 69% of City’s league games (9/13) but has amassed only 31.6% of the available minutes (370/1170), so Guardiola hasn’t been convinced with his performances for a while.
Mahrez has now been an unused substitute in three of City’s last four outings too, so his poor showings have cost him a place in the team. Bernardo Silva replaced the 31-year-old on the right flank recently, so he’ll have to work hard to convince Guardiola that he deserves a reprieve.
City next faces Chelsea in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday, so time will tell if Mahrez will return to the starting eleven. Guardiola has used him for matches outside of the Premier League – 6/6 Champions League appearances.
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