
He was only introduced to the game with 15 minutes remaining but Rayan Cherki's latest cameo for Manchester City is going viral for all the right reasons.
City made a statement of intent on Thursday as goals from Jeremy Doku, Pierre Kalulu [OG], Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Savinho sealed an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus in their final Club World Cup group stage game.
Erling Haaland grabbed the headlines after reaching 300 career goals, which means he has reached the landmark in fewer games than Cristiano Ronaldo (554 games), Lionel Messi (418 games) and Kylian Mbappe (409 games).
Advert
But for many, the performance of summer signing Rayan Cherki was the biggest highlight – even if he was on the pitch for just 15 minutes.
Cherki, who joined Pep Guardiola's side from Lyon this month for a reported £34 million, has already made an impression in training after detailing how the City manager wants to use him in the coming weeks and months.
“I spoke with Pep about my position on the pitch and we spoke about what I enjoy when I’m on the pitch. It’s very good for me," said Cherki. "He told me he loves a number 10, but now I play all the positions in the pitch, it’s not complicated because I just want to play.”
Advert
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder replaced Rayan Ait-Nouri in the 75th minute against Juventus and quickly settled into the game, nutmegging Filip Kostic with an outrageous piece of skill that brought "oooh's" from the Florida crowd.
As you can see from the clip below, Cherki's technical ability was on show throughout his second-half cameo.
Here's how fans on social media reacted to Cherki's performance against Juve.
Advert
One wrote: "Rayan Cherki is taking Manchester City to the next level."
A second said: "People will argue about "Cherki vs Foden" when the pair are an incredibly compatible right side duo. Look how they elevate each other. Such a fluid relationship, Cherki primarily in-to-out movements, Foden primarily out-to-in movements... I love it, can't wait to see more."
A third commented: "Best talent from Ligue 1 since Eden Hazard. Listen to people who know," and a fourth said: "This is the closest thing to Neymar. None of this Doue nonsense."
A fifth added: "This is a serious player. What were clubs doing? How did we get a free run at this?"
Advert

Cherki, who has already scored his first goal for City – an effort against Al Ain at the Club World Cup – can become a world-class player at City, according to Hugo Viana, the club's director of football.
“We’re very happy to have Rayan at City. We want to bring top talent to the club, and he falls into that category," said Viana.
“He’s a player our scouts have watched for a long time, and we have all been impressed with his skill and creativity. I am convinced our fans will be excited to see him play."
Advert
He added: “There’s no doubt that he’s now in the best place possible to develop further under Pep’s guidance and I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction.”
Topics: Manchester City, FIFA Club World Cup, Premier League, Juventus, Fan Reactions