Omar Marmoush Washes Away Manchester City's Boredom

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY - The decision of Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola to bench striker Erling Haaland proved to be very wise. In addition to being beneficial for Haaland, who needed a break, his replacement Omar Marmoush also successfully brought the freshness required for City's attacking line.

City finally ended a streak of four winless matches in the English Premier League. They defeated the bottom team Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday (24/1/2026 WIB). The home team managed to secure a victory even with their goal machine, Haaland, on the bench.

Haaland should indeed be rested. He has played nine matches in the last month, all as a starter. The striker needs time to recharge and regain his confidence after a goal drought since the end of December 2025. His position has been taken over by Marmoush.

It's important to score goals and help the team. I'm very happy to be here after the Africa Cup of Nations.

Marmoush, who has just returned from the Africa Cup, has not played for City since mid-December. However, his influence was immediately evident from the start of the match. The Egyptian forward opened the scoring for the home team in the 6th minute, capitalizing on a cross from wing-back Matheus Nunes.

"It's important to score goals and help the team. I'm very happy to be here after the Africa Cup of Nations. We're just trying to freshen up our minds and our legs (after the poor result)," said Marmoush, who nearly scored a brace midway through the first half, but his shot hit the post.

Marmoush's quick goal successfully boosted the confidence of Guardiola's team. As is known, they arrived at the match with the team's morale at an extremely low point. City had just suffered consecutive defeats to Bodo/Glimt 1-3 in the Champions League and Manchester United 0-2 in the Premier League.

Without Haaland, City's attacking system completely changed. They didn't use a target man who faithfully waited for the ball in the penalty area. Guardiola played a fluid formation without a center forward. Marmoush operated more often on the left flank, occasionally making inroads into the box, as in the first goal situation.

The central area of City's attack is alternately filled by several players. The two figures who most frequently penetrate are midfielder Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders. As a result, their attacks are more difficult for Wolves to read. Opposing defenders no longer only need to monitor Haaland to neutralize City's offense.

The flexible formation also inspired Antoine Semenyo's goal at the end of the first half. At that moment, Wolves defender Santiago Bueno was drawn away from the last line due to the movements of Cherki and Bernardo Silva from the midfield. As a result, a gap was created that Semenyo exploited.

According to Guardiola, Marmoush's role remains important even though he is a substitute. The player was once doubted because he had only contributed one assist from ten appearances in the league. "People ask about the numbers, assists or goals. So I am pleased with Omar for his energy. We managed to (address the criticism)," he said.

The pair of goals became a significant asset for City. They struggled to cope with the straightforward attacks from Wolves after the halftime break. The visiting team created numerous clear opportunities from crosses and set-piece plays. Wolves even managed to outnumber City in terms of shots in the second half, 9-4.

Wolves coach Rob Edwards stated that the change in formation from three defenders to four in the second half successfully altered the rhythm of the match. "However, the challenge was very difficult because we were already trailing 0-1 at the start of the game. The players have done what I asked, to be bolder. We managed to make them quite silent," he said.

Fortunately, Guardiola can now utilize the services of City's new defender, Guehi. The player, who was brought in from Crystal Palace for a fee of 20 million pounds sterling (approximately Rp 457.9 billion), performed well in his debut. Guehi instilled calmness in his partner, the 21-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

Guehi was able to fill the gap left by two of City's core defenders, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, who are sidelined due to injury. Despite the clean sheet record, the England national team player is still not satisfied. "There are many small details and positioning that I need to learn quickly, but it is very enjoyable," said Guehi.

Although Marmoush was able to perform well as a starter, City will still need the best contributions from Haaland in the near future. Guardiola's attacking system relies on the two-time winner of the Premier League Golden Boot. Marmoush is merely a supplementary weapon to add variation to "The Citizens'" attack. (AP/REUTERS)