Man City's most dangerous attacker is no longer Erling Haaland after Brentford rout

With four games remaining this season for Manchester City, could it still prove to be a success? Well, how ever many trophies Pep Guardiola's team manage to get their hands on come the end of May, one player in particular has taken a gigantic step forwards during this campaign and that is Jérémy Doku.

The Belgian bagged three goals in two matches this week, lashing home the late equaliser to rescue a point at Everton, before breaking the deadlock during Saturday's 3-0 win over Brentford. In the latter in particular, Doku was unstoppable.

Jérémy Doku's statistics vs Brentford

Note: All statistics courtesy of SofaScore.

As the statistics show, Doku was electrifying at the weekend. His tally of 88 touches is extremely high for a winger, while he created two big chances, provided two accurate crosses and produced six key passes, which is a lot, underling that he is starting to add end product to his game.

The other number that leaps off the page is his eight successful dribbles which, out of 11 attempted, is also noteworthy. Doku's magical dribbling is what he is best known for, leading the Premier League in attempted take-ons every season since he arrived from Stade Rennais for €65 million three summers ago. So, where does he rank across Europe when it comes to dribbling this time round?

Player with most successful dribbles Europe's top 5 leagues: 2025/26

Note: All statistics courtesy of SofaScore.

Across UEFA's top five ranked leagues, only eight players have successfully completed 70 or more dribbles this season. Surprisingly, Doku is actually only fourth on this ranking, along way behind Lamine Yamal and RB Leipzig teen sensation Yan Diomandé, both of whom have surpassed 100, while only four below Vinir Jr.

Looking at the Champions League, the Man City forward is third for this metric on 39, behind only Michael Olise and the aforementioned Lamine Yamal, an impressive tally considering the Sky Blues' relatively early exit from the tournament. Doku's dynamism gives Guardiola's team an extra dimension in attack, preventing them from ever becoming predictable or stodgy.

The 23 year old has only scored eight goals this season, albeit five of these have come in the last month, on target against Chelsea, Southampton at Wembley, Everton twice and now Brentford. So, while Erling Braut Håland has been this team's figurehead ever since he arrived in 2022, it feels as though, right now, Doku is the main man, certainly the player being prioritised by opposition defences. So, will his scintillating form continue against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night?

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