- Jeremy Doku admitted he needed to score more goals
- The Man City winger has become more direct recently
- Doku says he has been looking for the shot more often
Jeremy Doku’s latest Manchester City performances have shown a winger who is no longer only creating danger but actively looking to finish attacks himself.
Doku’s latest Man City scoring run suggests that the Belgian is beginning to trust himself more. Wayne Rooney probably had a part to play, but the winger always had the edge to make a difference.
Doku continues to outperform his xG with constant screamers. He was the star against both Brentford and Everton, acting as the orchestrator of a big win and a comeback, respectively.
Now, in the aftermath of the clash at the Etihad, Doku has finally explained the shift and the intention behind the change.
Jeremy Doku explains recent Man City scoring change
Speaking to Sky Sports after the Brentford win, Doku admitted that the goals had become the main area he wanted to improve.
The 22-year-old has shown hunger to score more despite providing for other players. He already has five goals and five assists in the Premier League this season, but he is still looking to improve on those numbers.
“I know where I need to become better, and it’s to score. Assisting I did, but more goals, being in those positions! I said after Southampton, sometimes I need to be more selfish, look for the shot – I’ve been doing that,” Doku told Sky Sports.
The Belgian added, “Obviously, you can shoot, but you need to score, so I’m just grateful those shots went in. I’m happy, especially with the victory and performance.”
Doku is getting into better scoring areas
The biggest change since the Southampton game has been the shots. Doku has had double the shots on target against Brentford and Everton compared to Southampton.
However, he has also changed his wider positioning to get into these shooting positions. The Belgian created the most chances (5) and completed the most dribbles (11) against the Saints.
Nevertheless, he lacked when it came to touches in the opposition box (6), standing fourth overall. However, he changed that against the Bees and the Toffees.
Doku had the most touches in the opposition box against both clubs. He touched the ball 19 and 12 times respectively in the opposition penalty area.
Doku is becoming harder to defend
This hybrid role has now made Doku hard to defend. Earlier this season, defenders could prepare for him as someone who’d create.
Previously, the main danger was the dribble, the cut-back or the pass after he had beaten his man. However, now the threat has become more unpredictable.
Doku has scored five goals with an xG of 2.54, highlighting the quality of his shots. He has also created 56 chances in the Premier League this season, ranking in the top 5.5% of left-wingers in the league.
Now, if the full-back closes the shooting lane, Doku can still create, but if they protect the pass, the winger has the confidence to have a go at the goal.
