Pep Guardiola has emphasised that in transition, Matheus Nunes is one of the best players he has ever seen.
After the Portuguese international’s eye-catching performance in Manchester City’s 3-1 win against Burnley, Micah Richards also singled his dribbling out as his standout trait during the game.
In several counter-attacking situations, the 25-year-old’s ability to drive forward with the ball coupled with his searing pace made the Sky Blues devastating offensively, with Ian Wright left especially surprised by how quick he was.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil also described the former Sporting CP midfielder as an “incredibly talented boy” after his move to the Etihad Stadium
So much so that Pep Guardiola believes Matheus Nunes is one of the best players he has ever seen in transition.
“[The] First and most important thing is it takes time for me to remember the impact with one player when they arrive, how [they] settle with the team or being loved like Matheus [Nunes]. Everybody is glad to have him in the locker room and in the minutes he’s played, he was really good for the day one and having a specific quality that we don’t have. We didn’t have”, he said (via HaytersTV).
“So, in the transition play, he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen but of course, how the way we play and the dynamics of course, sometimes, it needs a little bit longer but at specific things, he’s fantastic and we are really pleased [with] the performance he had [against Burnley], [the assist for] the first goal was fantastic and the moments he can get with the pace we have after with Erling [Haaland] or with Julian [Alvarez] or Phil [Foden] or Jeremy [Doku] or Jack [Grealish], Oscar [Bobb].”
Guardiola concluded, “It’s quite similar when he make these movements like Kevin [De Bruyne], two players who can run, they are so, so difficult [to stop] but still is young, we’re delighted.”
Interestingly, Pep Guardiola has compared Matheus Nunes to Kevin De Bruyne in the past as well due to how “unstoppable” both are when driving forward with the ball.
Considering how many games are won and lost in transition in the Champions League, Matheus Nunes could emerge as a huge asset for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
After a certain point, games between the top sides stray away from being cagey to becoming end-to-end encounters, with both teams trying to go for the jugular.
In such game states, Nunes’ pace and dribbling will come in handy for City as they aim to win the Champions League yet again this season.
Whether Matheus Nunes cements his place in the starting XI by the time the latter stages of the competition come around is the question.
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