The ‘rabbit in headlights’ now excelling for Man City

Abdukodir Khusanov endured a nightmare debut for Manchester City, producing a comedy of errors inside his first four minutes of action for the club.

After an awful mistake from the £33m signing gifted Chelsea the opening goal in the game in January 2025, he was booked soon after and it was an uphill journey for him from that desperate start.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said he “felt like crying for the lad” after that game, and following City’s Champions League defeat at Real Madrid the following month, ex-England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said Khusanov had been “like a rabbit in the headlights”.

The 21-year-old has experienced a remarkable rise from playing in Belarus’ top-flight to reaching the Premier League within three years.

A trailblazer for his country, he became the first player from Uzbekistan to feature in England’s top division and will represent his nation at the World Cup in the summer.

He has played 22 times in all competitions for City this season and featured in the impressive victories over Manchester United and Newcastle, as well as Sunday’s comeback win over champions Liverpool at Anfield.

Guardiola enthused about him afterwards, saying “what a game he played” against Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike, although he was substituted in the second half after colliding with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Khusanov’s main asset is his speed – he has clocked 22mph this season, the sixth-highest for a Premier League defender, with Wolves’ Jackson Tchatchoua leading the way on 23.2mph.

With 17 tackles and 18 interceptions this term, Khusanov ranks second for City players on both metrics, having had to step up amid the absence of Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones at various stages.

Khusanov arrived in Manchester with limited English and when asked about possible language difficulties on Tuesday, Guardiola replied: “He doesn’t speak like William Shakespeare but he’s getting better and better.

“He understands what we want and every time he is getting better. He is so intelligent.”

Khusanov is naturally reserved and instead does his talking on the pitch with a no-nonsense approach.

Such has been the improvement in his form this season that he claimed City’s player of the month award for January.

That said, it is true to say that Khusanov can still cause some nervousness among City fans when in possession, perhaps with flashbacks to his first game.

He is still young and raw, but Guardiola has no doubts about the player’s bright future.

“Normally when a player has physicality, it means he does not have to use the head,” said the Spaniard. “He has both. That’s why on the ball he is getting better and it always encourages me that he will improve.

Khusanov’s standout quality is his pace, which is invaluable in the modern game.

City’s assistant coach Pep Lijnders has helped employ some of the sport’s most aggressive out-of-possession tactics throughout his career. His influence has bled into City’s system this season, with the Blues looking to catch opponents offside.

This high-risk approach is made less risky when playing Khusanov. His pace helps him step up to catch opponents offside, or defend running towards his own goal when teams play direct through balls.

The best teams boast technical quality that improves their ability to build out from the back and defending teams now have the problem of whether they leave an extra defender back for defensive solidity or not – as doing so means they press with one fewer player.

As much as speed is key to his game, Guardiola has made sure to point out that Khusanov is more than just brawn.

Quick defenders often encourage opponents to run at them, knowing they can beat them for pace – but Khusanov’s intelligence shines when it comes to deciding when to engage in duels versus when to back off.