Manchester City: Cherki joins Henry, Payet and Cantona

Faraj Benlahoucine, Media365: published on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 10:38 pm

By offering two decisive passes to his Manchester City teammates this Sunday, Rayan Cherki has joined a closed circle of French players who have shone in the Premier League such as Dimitri Payet, Eric Cantona, and Thierry Henry.

In a rescheduled match of the 32nd round of the Premier League this Sunday, Manchester City convincingly defeated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (0-3). This victory reinvigorates the title race, especially after the surprising home defeat against Bournemouth (1-2). The Cityzens owe this victory largely to Rayan Cherki. Average in the first half, the former Lyon player transformed into a brilliant player after halftime. With two impressive plays demonstrating his class, he provided two decisive passes to Nico O’Reilly (51st) and Marc Guehi (57th).

Although Rayan Cherki does not have unanimous support among soccer observers, the numbers speak for themselves, showing his impressive performance. By reaching ten assists against the Blues, the French international has joined a very exclusive circle of great players who have passed through the Premier League. Before him, Eric Cantona, David Ginola, Steed Malbranque, Laurent Robert, Paul Pogba, Michael Olise, Robert Pires, Dimitri Payet, and Thierry Henry have also succeeded in providing at least ten assists in a single season.

Guardiola: “Only he can invent passes like the one to Guehi”

In fact, Rayan Cherki has become the first player capable of reaching this number in his first season in England since Dimitri Payet with West Ham in 2016. He still has seven matches to improve this total, and maybe even approach the ultimate record. Under Arsenal’s jersey, Thierry Henry delivered 20 assists during a remarkable season. This record was equaled in 2020 by an extraordinary playmaker from Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne.

“I told him at halftime: ‘Play higher to showcase your talent!’ When he fully understands that he must be consistent for 95 minutes, he will truly be a unique player. Only he can invent passes like the one to Guehi,” exclaimed Rayan Cherki’s coach, Pep Guardiola, after the match.