Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Will Unwin at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City’s big guns ride to rescue after Khusanov’s nightmare start

Abdukodir Khusanov endured a debut to forget
Abdukodir Khusanov endured a debut to forget but was helped out by teammates as Manchester City fought back to beat Chelsea. Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP

It took fewer than six minutes of Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut for the £33.8m centre-back to be given a round of sarcastic applause for making a successful five-yard backpass to Ederson. Needless to say, things had not started well for the 20-year-old Uzbekistan defender.

Without trying to offend the good people at Belarusian club Energetik‑BGU and Lens, stepping into the spotlight of Manchester City against a Chelsea team with Champions League ambitions was always going to be a tricky first assignment for someone who had been in the country less than a week.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.