Manchester City forward has been keeping his side in the title race and Pep Guardiola says he can be world class
You knew it was coming when Jeremy Doku collected the ball and wormed his way into the Brentford penalty area waving his wand.
Moments later, he had curled an inch-perfect ball into the top right corner. Caoimhin Kelleher could only stand and watch. Aaron Hickey tried to jump and head it away. Pointless.
In case you didn’t know it, the ‘wand’ is what Doku’s teammates colloquially call his right foot, which he tends to wave pretty often to make high-level players disappear.
Doku has not always been great for Manchester City, dangerously dropping to an Adama Traore level at times, but after hot-and-cold performances in the past two seasons he is finally becoming the difference maker City have desperately needed at times. Without his goals against Everton and then Brentford, Pep Guardiola’s side would have dropped out of the title conversation already.
He has scored in three consecutive matches, his latest coming in the 3-0 win over Brentford.
Guardiola himself has backed Doku to reach the level of world football’s leading wingers, saying the attacker can be compared with players like Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Guardiola. “And he always accepts being pushed. Always accepts that. And that is so nice. We are really pleased. Now he is winning games. But he has always been really, really good.”
The Doku finesse shot 😮💨🔒 pic.twitter.com/DahOoKOALq
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 10, 2026
Doku’s goalscoring run has made this the most productive period of his career since moving to England. Against Brentford he was the most advanced of City’s forward players in terms of average position, higher than Rayan Cherki through the centre, Antoine Semenyo on the other flank, or even centre forward Erling Haaland.
Guardiola said the next step for the 23-year-old is mental rather than technical, saying he needs ambition and consistency to reach the elite level.
“It depends on your mentality,” Guardiola said. ” ‘I want to become one of the best wingers in the world.’ Otherwise, you’re in a comfort zone and you say, ‘No, it’s fine, it’s fine.’ Always I’ve been, Jeremy, dribbles and whatever. I always try. But I say, no, I want to become one of the best of the best. That is when you reach that level.”
Doku has described himself as an instinctive player, saying his recent goals have only come naturally. He has not made any particular change in his approach to the game.
“I’m an instinct player,” Doku said. “Today it’s working out. I scored some goals, I’ve always played with instinct but now the goals are coming. I haven’t been a different player.”
