Pep Guardiola has suggested Omar Marmoush may have done enough to force his way into Manchester City’s starting XI against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, as the manager admitted he needs to start using his squad.
The City boss has barely tinkered with his team across the last five Premier League games. Same faces. Same system. Same relentless winning.
But Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Brentford offered a reminder of the depth sat on his bench. Marmoush, Phil Foden and Savinho all came on and made a difference. Instantly.
Seconds after Marmoush and Foden entered the fray, City took the lead. Then the Egyptian bagged his second league goal of the campaign, a tidy finish after being put through by Erling Haaland following a lovely team move involving Savinho and Foden.
Now Guardiola is thinking about changes.
‘He’s a proper striker’
Asked whether the impact of his substitutes could alter his starting plans, Guardiola didn’t hide.
“Yeah, especially Omar,” he said.
“It’s not easy because normally we play with just one striker. He’s a proper striker and Erling is there.
“Erling is so important for us. But the contribution of Omar, always he plays the amount of goals. And the rate for the minutes played is so high. So it’s really good. We talked many times.”
That last line feels significant. Guardiola has had conversations with Marmoush. Now he’s ready to give him minutes.
“I know it’s not easy for them, but I’m pretty sure the next games they’re going to play. I want to rotate the team. Because otherwise we cannot arrive in the final or Bournemouth a little bit…”
The brutal schedule City didn’t choose
City’s run in is ridiculous. Palace on Wednesday. Then the FA Cup Final. Then Bournemouth away. All inside seven days.
The club waited three months for the Palace game to be rearranged. All their suggestions for the remaining fixtures were rejected by the Premier League. Guardiola is clearly frustrated, even if he’s trying to hide it.
“We don’t know about the generosity for the Premier League as always. So it has been really nice for this schedule,” he said dryly.
“But it’s what it is. We accept. I always have said, don’t play the final in FA Cup, you won’t have this schedule.
“We are in the final, you have this schedule. And I would love to have the schedule in the semi final of the Champions League in the middle of the title race. We were there. When we won the treble, we were there in that dynamic. So it’s really nice.”
That’s the key. Guardiola isn’t complaining. He’s embracing it. This is what fighting for trophies looks like.
Energy is the currency
Marmoush brings something different to Haaland. He’s not the same physical specimen. But he’s energetic. Bright. Busy.
And in a stretched season where legs are heavy, that matters.
“As much as you have fit [players], we have. With energy, it’s easy to say, OK, make the substitution, one minute, Jeremy, put the ball in the net. But we want energy and Omar gives us energy,” Guardiola said.
“And Phil gives us that, you know that? And you need everyone. So as much as you have fit [players], you can do it because we did it. And like we did it, we can do it.”
What happens next?
Guardiola said he’d wait for the result of Arsenal’s game against West Ham on Sunday before finalising his plans for Palace. That result is now in. Arsenal won. The pressure stays on.
Now Guardiola must decide: stick with Haaland, or give Marmoush a chance from the start?
Either way, the message is clear, rotation is coming. City need everyone firing. And Marmoush has just made his case.
Loudly
