Enzo Maresca has challenged Rayan Cherki to remain in the areas where he can hurt opponents most after describing the Manchester City midfielder as one of the best players in Europe when used in the right position.

Cherki has made an impressive start to his second season at Manchester City, scoring six goals and providing two assists in his opening 11 appearances across all competitions. The 23-year-old was on target again during Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League victory over AEK Athens, but Maresca believes there is still an important tactical detail for the France international to improve.

Speaking before Saturday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa, the City manager explained that Cherki’s desire to get on the ball can sometimes take him away from the positions where he is most dangerous.

Maresca reveals Cherki tactical demand

“Rayan in this moment is one of the best players in Europe when he is in the right position,” Maresca said.

The Italian highlighted Cherki’s ability to receive possession between the lines, pointing to similarities between his goals against AEK and Liverpool earlier this season. Maresca’s challenge is to keep Cherki higher up the pitch without removing the freedom and individuality which make him such a threat. The midfielder naturally moves towards the ball when City have possession, but that can leave him deeper than his manager would like.

Maresca acknowledged that Cherki “loves the ball” and said City must find the right balance rather than attempting to remove that instinct from his game. It is a subtle tactical demand rather than criticism of Cherki’s performances. His six goals and two assists underline his productivity, while City have scored freely during the opening months of Maresca’s tenure.

City searching for right attacking balance

Cherki’s positioning is particularly interesting given the attacking options available to Maresca. Phil Foden has scored four goals in his past two appearances, including his first Champions League hat-trick against AEK, while Erling Haaland returned to the starting XI at Aston Villa after being rested in midweek.

Maresca has already confirmed he believes Cherki, Foden and Haaland can play together, although the balance of the side will determine when he chooses to use that combination. The City manager has also revealed the private talks he held with Foden after taking charge, with the England international now rediscovering his scoring form.

Cherki presents Maresca with a slightly different challenge. City do not want to restrict the creativity which makes him dangerous, but his manager wants that freedom exercised in areas where it can have the greatest effect. Maresca’s message is therefore less about changing Cherki and more about refining him. If City can consistently find him between the lines, their manager believes they have one of Europe’s most dangerous attacking players at their disposal.

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Gary is an experienced sports journalist who has written for, among many others, BBC Sport and The Metro, and is now the editor of ReadEverton.com. He leads daily coverage of Everton news, transfers and analysis as part of the dave.sport network. He also writes for ReadManCity.com, ReadMotorsport and ReadNorwich within the same network. When not writing, he enjoys a nice cold pint of Guinness and trips to the cinema ... not always at the same time.