The 18-year-old attacker, who can play anywhere across the front three, was in fine form at Pride Park as City recorded their first Premier League Cup points of the season with a 5-1 victory.
We at mancity.com decided to ask him what makes him such a threat to the opposition.
Beating a man
When I’m looking to go past a man, I have to decide before I have even got the ball that I am going to go around him. You always have an idea of what you’re going to do to get past the man, that puts you one step ahead and gives you a great sense of confidence.
Decision making
Once you’re past the player, you have to settle yourself again so you don’t make a rash decision. You should already have a good picture of where you are on the pitch and where your teammates are. If I’ve got a tight angle then I’m not going to shoot but the more experience you pick up being in similar positions, the more it’s going to become an instinct.
One-on-one
If you’re thinking too much about what you’re going to do, you’re more likely to get yourself muddled up. There’s only very few players that are better working that way than reacting instinctively and allowing their body to dictate the situation.
To even get in that position, it’s important to position the defenders where you want them and time your runs so that you’re meeting passes at the right time.
Holding the ball up
There are strikers that have an obvious advantage with this because they’re bigger than the defenders. For us smaller players, we have to think quickly to make sure we’re always between them and the ball.
You see strikers like Sergio Aguero protect the ball from big defenders because they know the right moment to put their weight in and when to lay it off. He’s great to watch for a young striker learning to hold it up.
Defending from the front
We all have our roles and we go on to the pitch knowing our roles. That preparation really helps because that means in each situation we have previous experience.
When I see players doing their job, it means I work harder to defend my goal on the pitch. We don’t see it as defenders or attackers, if you’ve got the mindset that you win and lose the ball as a team it makes it easier to do the defending.
Manchester City’s EDS travel to Leigh Sports Village to face Manchester United on 9 January and City fans can claim free tickets here...
