Jeremy Doku has registered five goals and five assists across 28 Premier League appearances this season.
When questioned recently about Jeremy Doku potentially reaching the level of players like Vinicius Jr. and Lamine Yamal, Pep Guardiola expressed confidence.
“Yeah, for sure,” stated the Manchester City manager. “He always accepts being pushed, and that is so nice. We are really pleased. Now he is winning games, but he has always been really, really good.”
Doku’s evolution as a player is becoming increasingly apparent as he begins to fulfill his considerable potential at City following nearly three years with the club.
The Belgium winger, still only 23, signed from Rennes for £55.4m in August 2023, with City recognizing his high ceiling.
His pace and dribbling ability have consistently been among the best, forming a unique profile in the modern game.
Shaun Maloney, a former coach of Doku’s with Belgium, told The Athletic that the young winger’s quality was immediately evident, even during the Under-17 European Championships.
“What you see now in terms of one-v-one dribbling was exactly him then. He was taking it in his own half and dribbling 70 and 80 yards,” Maloney said.
A few years later, Kylian Mbappe and his father were observed watching Doku in awe during his first year playing for Rennes.
“I was speaking with my father about a player I had noticed from the stands because of his pace,” said Mbappe.
“The player was Doku at Rennes. In my five years as a pro, I had never seen someone with so much explosivity in his first steps.”
While specific standout qualities can enable players to forge strong careers, becoming a star for an elite side requires integrating those qualities in a comprehensive manner – something Doku has begun to demonstrate.
On Saturday, he will be looking to help Manchester City secure their second trophy of the campaign as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
FA Cup final
Chelsea v Manchester City
Saturday, 16 May at 15:00 BST
Wembley Stadium
Watch live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer (build-up from 13:15 BST) and listen to full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. Follow live text commentary plus TV and radio coverage on the BBC Sport website and app.
‘The Doku show’ – Why Man City’s winger is crucial for title hopes
Even Kylian Mbappe was impressed by Jeremy Doku’s pace, recognizing him as one of the fastest players in world football.
When discussing Doku, Guardiola emphasizes the importance of maintaining high standards off the pitch.
He stated: “Everybody knows that he’s made an incredible step in the sense of saying, ‘I am Jeremy Doku, I am going to win games.’ The greatest players always have that mentality.”
“It [all] depends on mentality. [He has to say] I want to become one of the best in the world, otherwise you’re in a comfort zone. That is how you reach that [next] level.”
Doku has demonstrated a level of self-reflection, accountability, and focus off the pitch that aligns with his on-field improvements.
Doku has collaborated with Gabriel Deieno, a mental performance coach who works with elite athletes.
Following a particularly impressive performance against Liverpool, Doku attributed his success to his deepening faith in God.
Minor distractions can derail even the most talented players at the highest level, but Doku has found stability off the pitch.
Guardiola has entrusted Doku with several roles throughout the season. Regardless of the specific instructions, the City manager has consistently given his winger a significant level of responsibility.
The increase in man-to-man defending in the Premier League this season has meant that Doku’s strength and dribbling ability have enabled him to get the better of opposing defenders, even when they are doubled or tripled-up on him.
This evolving tactical landscape has made him increasingly crucial to City’s success.
In City’s 3-0 win against Manchester United, Doku was instructed to move from the touchline into the center of the pitch. This helped City overload United’s midfield with four players of their own.
With City’s midfielders positioned close to each other, Doku – receiving the ball in-field – would turn and drive at the defense, attracting players towards him and creating space for Nico O’Reilly on the left flank.
Against United, Doku moved into midfield helping City create central overloads – and left space for Nico O’Reilly on the flank
Much of City’s success this season can be attributed to the on-field relationship between that left-sided duo.
For most of the campaign, Doku has occupied a more natural left-wing position, creating a dilemma for opponents.
When teams double up on Doku in an attempt to minimize his dribbling threat, they leave space for O’Reilly to get into the box. This has resulted in the England full-back amassing 15 goal contributions in all competitions so far this season.
When teams focus on O’Reilly’s central attacking position instead, Doku relishes the opportunity to dribble past a single defender before cutting the ball back dangerously to his teammates.
Here we see Doku’s positioning dragging Arsenal’s right-back Ben White out wide, leaving space for O’Reilly to run into
One of the reasons Doku was signed by City was to utilize him on the right wing – a position he played at Rennes more frequently than in Manchester.
From that position, the instructions were simpler: beat his man on the outside with his speed and deliver crosses with his stronger right foot.
Perhaps indicating trust in his overall footballing ability, Doku’s role on the left wing has evolved further this season, allowing him to cut inside and play centrally – often on his own initiative.
By rolling his defender and facing the opposition’s goal when the game becomes stretched, he has added to his arsenal of assists by playing through balls to Erling Haaland running in behind.
For the opening goal against Galatasaray, Doku finds Haaland running in behind. From central positions, Doku can play vertical passes that suit the Norway striker’s strengths
Against more stubborn defenses, Doku has demonstrated the ability to cut inside and away from the goal, increasing the distance from nearby defenders before striking the ball into the far corner.
“When I look at all my goals this season, I don’t see one tap-in,” Doku said. Despite this seemingly being a good problem to have, the winger’s desire for self-improvement was evident.
“When I look at, for example, Sterling in his seasons here, all the tap-ins that he scored – at least five, six, seven a season.
“I want to score also those goals where I just tap-in, [back] post, run in and tap-in. That’s really the thing that I need to work on.”
Doku’s signature finish appears to be this cut-back movement that gives him enough space to take a shot into the far corner
The strengths that distinguish Doku came fairly naturally, but hard work has improved his understanding of the game, enabling him to maximize that talent.
While he aims to add tap-ins to his attacking game, he deserves credit for improving his defensive understanding this season.
Guardiola’s City have opted to defend in a 4-2-4 formation out of possession, maintaining their shape before pressing in specific moments.
The two strikers are tasked with blocking passes into midfield, so the wingers in this system take on the physically demanding job of pressing the opposition’s center-back while also blocking passes to the full-back.
Doku, along with Antoine Semenyo, has executed this role effectively and was key in nullifying Arsenal‘s build-up play in both the Carabao Cup and Premier League wins in recent weeks.
City’s 4-2-4 defensive shape requires intensity and an understanding of when to press from the wingers
Doku’s tenacious pressing has also led to him winning the ball back high up the pitch and scoring after turnovers in games against Chelsea and Brentford.
Doku and two team-mates converge around Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo. Doku wins the ball from this situation, drives at goal and scores City’s third goal
Whether City win the FA Cup or the league remains to be seen, but their success across three competitions is largely a testament to Doku’s ability to carry the team in attack as Guardiola sought his best starting XI.
Despite a personally impressive season, Doku is reluctant to become complacent, and Guardiola’s comments can be interpreted as a challenge to keep the winger on his current trajectory.
“I think all season he’s been really, really good, and the limit depends on him,” said Guardiola.
“Players who want to be better will be better. Players who live all their life trying to be better and prepare the body and mindset to be better, will be better.
“It all depends on him.”
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