In Manchester City’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, while Erling Haaland stood out by scoring the second goal, his teammate Jeremy Doku also played a crucial role. The Belgian highlighted his instinct-driven play that ended in a perfectly timed assist for Haaland. “I saw the defenders moving toward the post, recognized a gap, and decided, ‘Someone must be there,’” Doku revealed during a post-match interview. He emphasized trusting teammates’ positions rather than focusing on the statistics.

Doku has shown significant growth as a player, with two goals and four assists in various competitions, crediting part of his development to Thierry Henry’s mentorship while they were both involved with the Belgian national team. Henry guided Doku on enhancing his one-on-one skills, something he noted had not been emphasized before.

Henry remarked on Doku’s potential, saying, “He has zero limits but he needs guidance. When you explain something to someone… they’re not going to comprehend what needs to happen.” His advice emphasizes the need for players to see the solutions rather than just the problems.

As analytics take a greater role in sports, Doku’s style of play underlines that individual flair and creativity can coexist with structured tactical systems, reinforcing Manchester City’s ambition for more Champions League titles.