Riyad Mahrez is the latest big-name player to be making the move to Saudi Arabia this summer after Manchester City accepted a £30m bid for the Algerian winger. Mahrez has enjoyed a very successful career in English football, first with Leicester City where he helped them to the most miraculous league title triumph in history, and then with Manchester City where he played a huge role in the club's dominance under Pep Guardiola.
After signing for £60m in 2018, a club record fee at the time, Mahrez has been a key player on the right wing for Manchester City for five years. Last season, however, he saw his game time reduced slightly which has likely contributed to his decision to leave. With his time at the Etihad Stadium at an end, let's take a trip down memory lane and look at his most memorable moments in a sky-blue shirt.
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Riyad Mahrez: Best moments at Manchester City
A goal and assist to win the title
Although Mahrez had a difficult opening season at Manchester City, as many players wide players seem to while they adjust to Guardiola's demands, he ended it with a bang as City retained their title on the final day of the 2018/19 season. That season, City had been pushed all the way by Liverpool and the fate of the league title went to the final day of the season.
On the final day, City travelled to Brighton to take on Chris Houghton's side and they found themselves a goal down early on. Having to battle back, Mahrez was one of many attacking players to grab the game of the scruff of the net and get City back into the game. After Sergio Aguero levelled the scores, Mahrez provided the assist from a corner for Laporte to give City the lead just before half time.
Then, after the break, the Algerian sealed the victory and City's second title in successive seasons when he scored the all-important third goal of the game.
2. Brighton FC vs Man City
Premier League 2018/2019Va dormir 🛏 pic.twitter.com/7FIDO2Vaui
— TONY 🪐 (@TonyFootball__) March 27, 2023
Free-kick against PSG
For years, Manchester City struggled in Europe but the signing of Mahrez seemed to help them progress further in the competition than ever before. In 2019/20, the Algerian almost single-handedly at times took City to their first-ever Champions League final thanks to a series of big goals and performances in the knockout stages of the competition.
In the first leg of the semi-final against PSG, Mahrez earned City an away 2-1 victory when he sent a low, fizzing free kick past Keylor Navas in the PSG goal. If that wasn't enough, he then scored a brace in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium to ensure City made it through to the final in Porto.
Riyad Mahrez scores a spectacular free kick to put Manchester City ahead against PSG, 2021. pic.twitter.com/i4NOX2uOog
— Throwback Football (@ftblthrowbacks) July 19, 2023
A hat-trick at Wembley
Although he was a peripheral figure at time last season, Mahrez still managed to provide a vital contribution in Man City's pursuit of the treble. The Blues were drawn against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals and the Algerian lit up Wembley Stadium with a glorious hat-trick. It was the Algerian's first-ever hat trick in English football and booked City a date with rivals, Man Utd, in the FA Cup final.
🇩🇿☑️ Riyad Mahrez is the first ever player to score a hat-trick in a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. (Squawka) pic.twitter.com/HZOrjY5yZV
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 22, 2023