At 3 a.m. on October 22, in the third round of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City challenged Villarreal away. At the pre-match press conference, Manchester City coach Guardiola praised Shirki very much.
Guardiola said: "Sergey is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career... His talent is really outstanding. He is the kind of player who always makes the situation better after getting the ball. He will not feel pressure, he is as comfortable as a street player."
Sergey joined Manchester City from Lyon for a transfer fee of more than 40 million euros in June this year, and is gradually gaining a foothold in the team. At the end of August, he was sidelined due to a quadriceps injury and resumed joint training on September 30. The former Lyon genius came off the bench to complete his comeback in Manchester City's 2-0 victory over Everton last weekend.
Manchester City currently ranks eighth in the Champions League group (1 win, 1 draw), while Villarreal ranks third in La Liga. Guardiola is expected to reuse Sherki in Tuesday night's game, expecting him to become an important weapon on the team's offensive end.