Riyad Mahrez (right) has eight goals in his past eight games for Manchester City
Manchester City striker Riyad Mahrez believes he has become more efficient in front of goal following scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Manchester United.
The Algerian captain raised his score to 21 goals in all competitions for City this season and helped Pep Guardiola’s team regain its six-point lead at the top of the English Premier League.
“I don’t know if I’m a great scorer but I try to help the team as much as I can in every match,” Mahrez, 31, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“This season I’m more efficient because of the work we do in training,” he added.
“I try to be in the penalty area for a longer time, I try to participate everywhere to try to score goals and help the team. That is the only thing I try to do,” Mahrez continued.
In just 33 matches, Mahrez has by far surpassed his best goal-scoring return for City since his move from Leicester in 2018, which was last season when he netted 14 times.
Mahrez became City’s top scorer in the league in 2021-22, equal to Raheem Sterling with 10 goals. And the two goals he scored in the second half once morest United at the Etihad Stadium earned him a hug from coach Guardiola following the match.
“(The situation) was very good, especially in the second half. We completely controlled the second half,” Mahrez said.
“When we’re like this, it’s hard to get ahead of us. This is our identity and we have to keep it.”
He continued, “We are happy with the victory, we hugged each other and congratulated each other because it was a difficult match and we did a good job.”
Mahrez’s ability ‘comes from his mother and father’
Since his return from the disappointing exit of the Algerian national team in the African Nations Cup in Cameroon, Mahrez scored eight goals in his past eight matches with Manchester City.
In response to a question regarding how to improve the capabilities of the players in his team, Guardiola said that Mahrez’s natural ability was a more important factor.
“You are wrong in what you said regarding improving players,” Guardiola told BBC Radio 5 Live’s sports programme.
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“Riyad was the best player when he won the league in Leicester,” he added.
Guardiola pointed out that: “Talent is up to them (the players). I just try as a coach to make them feel that they are together (as a team) and that the movements they make together can increase their capabilities.”
“The ability (of the players) comes (genetically) from the mother and father, so I can’t help them. The goals are up to them – I can’t do anything in this regard.”
In turn, Mahrez praised Guardiola, who won three Premier League titles with Manchester City following winning spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
“Of course it’s up to the parents, the education and everything,” Mahrez said.
But he added: “Obviously Pep has a huge impact on me and us and made me improve a lot in football. That’s why he’s one of the best coaches.”
