Although not always selected as a starter for Pep Guardiola's devastating Manchester City side, there's no doubting the quicksilver Leroy Sane adds another dimension to the Sky Blues when chosen.
While the youngster's attitude has been called into question at times, both for club and country, his talent is unmistakable. And it's been great to see him really knuckling down and proving his worth of late especially.
Scoring three goals and adding two assists in his last three Premier League matches to bring his tally to six goals and five assists in the league, his spike in form has been a massive positive for City ahead of their colossal clash with Chelsea this weekend. Having been instrumental towards the Citizens' wins over Bournemouth and Watford, he'll be desperate to continue his purple patch vs. Maurizio Sarri's eye-catching outfit.
Guardiola knows he has the talent to be a starter, but he just wants last season's PFA Young Player of the Year to be more consistent, something he noted after the victory over the Cherries. "If he's going to complain to his manager why he doesn't play I will show him the video of this, because if he plays like he did today he will play," said Guardiola.
"The challenge is there with De Bruyne coming back, I ask the best of all of them. We want to be competitive in all competitions, so there is no other option, and playing like that he deserves to play. He was incredible, created chances, was positive in mind. We never doubt him but he's only 22 and up and down and that is normal."
Playing with swagger and confidence, the German international will be keen to further endear himself to his Spanish tactician on the big stage by putting in a dazzling display against the Blues.
Blessed with scintillating speed, wonderful dribbling and a shrewd mover, he'll pose a huge threat come Saturday at Stamford Bridge. Exceptional in 1v1 scenarios due to his razor sharp close control, crafty array of feints, skills, shimmies and shoulder drops, which in combination with his ability to change pace and direction in an instant, Sane's aptitude in this regard makes him a tough man to stop.
In addition, his technical qualities also transfer into his incisive passing, that means he's capable of partaking in intricate link play in close quarters, splitting open defences with precise through balls, hitting tidy cutbacks and switching the play with aplomb. The fact he's provided more assists than any other Premier League player since the beginning of last campaign offers a glowing testament to his quality here.
Full of intelligence and dynamism with his movement, Sane is forever seeking ways to unhinge the opposition's defensive structure through a variety of methods. Whether it be performing slick rotations with his fellow attackers, nearby central midfielder or fullback, picking up space between the lines or embarking on scintillating runs in behind, his menacing presence duly compounds issues for his adversaries.
To focus on his depth runs, and the former Schalke 04 prodigy is particularly effective in these situations. By cleverly timing and directing his bursts, the jet-heeled German frequently gets the better of his tracker. Making sure to gain separation prior to instigating his runs, plus by typically positioning himself on the blindside of his man, he gives himself the upper hand to charge upfield unimpeded.
Stretching backlines both vertically and horizontally, even when he isn't pinpointed by a colleague, he crucially creates openings for others to exploit, for he often draws or pins multiple markers to disorganise his foes' stopping structure.
Doing everything at such a high speed, regardless if City are in their more methodical build-up or in transition, Chelsea will need to be very wary of the elusive attacker. By the numbers, his 2.8 dribbles per game, 2.1 key passes pg, 1.9 shots pg and terrific 33% conversion rate suitably demonstrate what a multifaceted, clinical operator he is.
Instinctive, dangerous and able to change a game in a split second with a moment of magic, the in-form Sane will be eager to keep up his exceptional level to propel City to another vital victory and to further impress his meticulous manager.
