The current campaign commenced with widespread anticipation that Liverpool would successfully defend their Premier League title; however, Manchester City significantly undermined those aspirations at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s team – marking the manager’s milestone 1000th match in professional football – not only triumphed over the reigning champions but also portrayed them as noticeably vulnerable and unsettled.
Arne Slot directed all his attention to Jeremy Doku but couldn’t neutralise him
Typically, in such a convincing demonstration by the Citizens, this statement would transition into several paragraphs praising the unstoppable influence of Erling Haaland.
Indeed, he maintained his scoring record by securing the initial goal shortly after his penalty was saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Inevitable!Erling Haaland scores again for Manchester City 💥 pic.twitter.com/jGBEZBKYWdNovember 9, 2025
However, in this particular narrative, Jeremy Doku assumes the lead role.
His goal, the Sky Blues’ third in Sunday’s encounter, will likely be prominently featured across various social media platforms on Monday.
Nevertheless, to reduce his contribution to a single moment, despite the undeniable brilliance of his curling shot from outside the penalty area after cutting in on his right foot, would undervalue his overall influence on the match.
Deployed on the left flank, he was directly opposed to the young right-sided defender, Conor Bradley.
The 22-year-old is not lacking in talent, having previously contained former Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Jr in a similar head-to-head duel earlier in the week.
Jeremy Doku with STUNNING strike! 💫 pic.twitter.com/MRzsqDw1VtNovember 9, 2025
Against this backdrop, Doku temporarily shifted to the right side during the early stages of the match, presumably assessing a higher probability of success against the slower and more experienced Andy Robertson on that wing.
However, following several attempts against Bradley, it soon became apparent that such strategic adjustments were unnecessary.
The Belgian had surpassed not only his direct opponent but also the supporting defenders.
Observing Ibrahima Konate’s activity map from the encounter at the Etihad, one might assume that Slot had deployed the Frenchman as a right-back from the outset.
Indeed, his frequent presence on that side, providing defensive cover for Bradley against Doku, suggested as much.
However, their efforts proved largely ineffective, exemplified when they both attempted to recover the ball, only to misjudge the interception and inadvertently return possession to Doku, which subsequently led to Haaland’s penalty opportunity after Mamardashvili fouled the winger.
Konate endured a challenging day, with City apparently structuring their defensive pressure to channel the ball towards the Frenchman, resulting in multiple turnovers – a detail Guardiola refrained from elaborating on in his post-match interview with Sky, to avoid singling out and embarrassing the defender.
It was the 26-year-old who faced the unenviable task of attempting to block Doku’s shot for the third goal, with the Belgian’s lightning-quick footwork making Konate appear considerably slower in comparison.
Nonetheless, blame cannot solely be attributed to Konate, as Ryan Gravenberch’s activity map also indicates a notable inclination towards Doku’s area.
As the match continued, with the Konate-Bradley partnership failing to contain Doku, Slot seemed to involve the Dutchman in an attempt to alleviate pressure on Konate and allow him to concentrate more on Haaland.
However, by that point, the situation was already decided.
Doku was substituted in the 74th minute to applause at the Etihad, following one of his most accomplished performances to date.
His mission (almost) accomplished, Bradley was withdrawn just under 10 minutes later, still unsettled by the onslaught he had faced.
The same trio that had effectively neutralised Vinicius Jr and his teammates on Europe’s grandest stage just days before had been outmaneuvered by a single, skillful Belgian.
Slot mentioned to Sky before the game that he had analysed City 250 times that week. He had anticipated Doku’s threat; he was just unable to counteract it.
