City boss Pep Guardiola included all three of his new January signings in his squad for the visit of Chelsea, handing starts to Khusanov and Marmoush. Yet it was a nightmare debut for the former as the young defender gifted Chelsea the first goal of the match in the opening minutes. The Uzbekistan international made a mess of a clearing header and then didn’t get enough on a ball back to Ederson, allowing Nicolas Jackson to steal in and poke home.
Khusanov barely had time to recover before he found himself in the referee’s notebook for a late foul on Cole Palmer as the Chelsea star went on the attack and cruised past the £34 million man. Fortunately for the defender, City managed to level before the break. Matheus Nunes made a great run forwards and saw a shot on goal blocked, but Josko Gvardiol had followed his run upfield and gleefully gobbled up the rebound just before half-time.
Abdukodir Khusanov’s Manchester City debut against Chelsea was nothing short of a nightmare. The 20-year-old Uzbekistan international, who signed from RC Lens for £33.5million, made a costly mistake just three minutes into the game ¹. He attempted to head the ball back to City goalkeeper Ederson, but his underhit pass was seized by Nicolas Jackson, who then passed to Noni Madueke to score an easy goal .
Khusanov’s error was a shock to the Manchester City fans, and he looked visibly shaken by the mistake. However, he did receive support from his teammates and manager Pep Guardiola, who substituted him out in the 54th minute with the score tied 1-1 . Guardiola even greeted Khusanov with a warm embrace on the sideline, showing his support for the young player.
Gary Neville, commenting on the game, said that Khusanov had endured the “hardest three minutes of his life” . Despite the tough start, Khusanov will be looking to bounce back and prove himself in future games.
Abdukodir Khusanov’s highly-anticipated debut for Manchester City against Chelsea quickly turned into a nightmare as the young Uzbekistan international made a costly mistake just three minutes into the game.
Khusanov, who signed from RC Lens for £33.5million, was handed a starting berth by manager Pep Guardiola, but his debut was one to forget. The 20-year-old attempted to head the ball back to City goalkeeper Ederson, but his underhit pass was seized by Nicolas Jackson, who then passed to Noni Madueke to score an easy goal.
The Chelsea players were quick to capitalize on Khusanov’s error, and Madueke’s goal sent the away fans into raptures. The Manchester City players, on the other hand, were left reeling from the early setback.
Khusanov looked visibly shaken by the mistake, and his confidence seemed to take a hit. Despite his best efforts to recover from the error, Khusanov struggled to make an impact on the game.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola substituted Khusanov out in the 54th minute with the score tied 1-1. Guardiola’s decision to replace Khusanov was likely an attempt to protect the young player from further damage and allow him to regroup.
As Khusanov made his way off the pitch, Guardiola greeted him with a warm embrace, showing his support for the young player. The gesture was a clear indication that Guardiola has faith in Khusanov’s abilities and is willing to give him time to settle into the team.
Gary Neville, commenting on the game, said that Khusanov had endured the “hardest three minutes of his life”. Neville’s assessment was spot on, as Khusanov’s mistake had put his team on the back foot from the outset.
Despite the tough start, Khusanov will be looking to bounce back and prove himself in future games. The young Uzbekistan international has already shown glimpses of his talent in training, and Manchester City fans will be hoping that he can put his debut mistake behind him and become a key player for the team.
In the end, Manchester City managed to salvage a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, thanks to a late equalizer from Erling Haaland. While the result was not ideal for Manchester City, it was a valuable learning experience for Khusanov, who will be looking to use the mistake as a stepping stone to improve his game.
As for Khusanov, he will be hoping that his next outing for Manchester City is a more positive one. With time and experience, the young Uzbekistan international has the potential to become a top-class player for Manchester City.
