Having registered just four goals in 17 appearances for Manchester City so far this season, Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez has not made the start to the season that he, or Pep Guardiola, will have been hoping for. Having enjoyed a productive individual campaign last term, the 31-year-old was expected to kick on and continue to get even better.
The summer arrival of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland was always going to lead to a decrease in goals for some of the Blues' wide players, but Phil Foden, for example, has demonstrated that there are still opportunities to get on the scoresheet on a consistent basis. The England international, who scored eight goals before the break in the domestic campaign, has made the left flank his own, but there is a fight on to start on the right wing.
Mahrez has made just four Premier League starts for Guardiola's side this season, with the Algerian being an unused substitute in the final three top-flight matches ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. Given that the City winger was never going to be in action in the tournament, it was somewhat surprising that he struggled for minutes ahead of the break.
