Man City stunned: Gary Neville says, ‘Chelsea handed Khusanov the toughest three minutes of his life’

Uzbekistan international Khusanov made his debut for Manchester City against Chelsea following his £33.5 million transfer from RC Lens [Sky Sports].

Just three minutes into the match, the 20-year-old attempted to head the ball back to goalkeeper Ederson but misjudged the power of his pass. This allowed Nicolas Jackson to intercept and set up Noni Madueke, who scored into an empty net to give Chelsea the lead.

Khusanov narrowly avoided further punishment as VAR reviewed his attempt to recover the situation, which could have been seen as denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Instead, he received a yellow card.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville commented on Sky Sports, saying: “This boy is 20-years-old, and this will be as difficult a three minutes as he’s ever had. He needs support from the players around him.”

Omar Marmoush, a £59 million signing from Frankfurt [The Guardian], also made his debut for City alongside Khusanov. The Egyptian forward was brought in during the January window to replace Julian Alvarez, who moved to Atletico Madrid last summer.

Manchester City typically conducts most of its transfer business in the summer, but underwhelming results this season have prompted mid-season changes. The decision to let Alvarez leave without a suitable replacement has left Erling Haaland without backup, which contributed to the Norwegian striker’s dip in form during the busy Christmas schedule.

City’s defensive struggles have also been evident, with injuries sidelining John Stones and Ruben Dias for extended periods. To address these issues, City signed Khusanov and Brazilian youngster Vitor Reis in January. However, neither player will have the luxury of an off-season to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s demanding system until next summer.

These January signings are uncharacteristic of City’s usual recruitment strategy, but with the club currently sitting seventh in the Premier League and a shocking 25th in their Champions League group, Guardiola has been forced into reactive decisions.

There’s also speculation of further moves in January, with Jack Grealish potentially attracting interest from top clubs.

Despite the poor start, Josko Gvardiol equalized before halftime, giving City a chance to recover after their early struggles.