PEP GUARDIOLA thinks Riyad Mahrez is reaping the rewards of regular football – and claims the trickster can’t get injured because he has “no muscles”.
The former Leicester winger, 28, scored the opener in the 6-1 rout of Aston Villa before Sergio Aguero stole the show with his historic hat-trick.
And Guardiola expects him to enjoy a long run in the side because of his apparent physiological advantage.
He said: “The difference last season and this season is he plays more minutes because the manager is more kind to him.
“The level he played last season was good too. He loves to play football.
“You see his legs it is impossible to be injured because he has no muscles. The final third he has something special, always I have the feeling he can score a goal.”
City’s win lifted them to second in the table and Guardiola seemed to hint that he is not expecting them to rise any higher this season.
He added: “The idea is the same from day one to today, it doesnt matter who you play, the difference is the quality, but the idea is completely the same.
“We try to put the players where they feel comfortable, but it doesnt matter if we play one striker, two strikers or without a striker.
“Last game we scored three without strikers and created a lot of chances. Today we scored six and created a lot of chances. Its because they move.
“But the difference is the quality of the players, Bernardo put the ball in from his apartment at Old Trafford, that is the quality, the influence is nothing.
“We have to figure out with the players we have the position they are going to play. We feel everybody is involved, everybody makes incredible contributions and the team continues to be there.
“Finally we are second in the table, it feels a long time ago, and we are close to qualifying for the Champions League next season.”
