Guardiola Praises New Signings as City Cruise Past Wydad

Manchester City began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a confident 2-0 win over Wydad Casablanca, as Pep Guardiola hailed the contribution of his new signings in Philadelphia.

Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki were both handed starts after recent arrivals from AC Milan and Lyon, respectively.

Reijnders impressed in midfield with a composed 90-minute display, while Cherki showed flashes of creativity in his 60-minute debut.

Guardiola, pleased with their adaptation, noted Reijnders’ quality in tight areas and Cherki’s potential to help fill the creative gap left by Kevin De Bruyne’s departure.

City’s goals came early, with Phil Foden opening the scoring before setting up Jeremy Doku for the second.

The match featured an experimental line-up, including young Brazilian defender Vitor Reis and the return of Nathan Ake after months out.

With several regular starters rested, Guardiola confirmed he plans to rotate heavily for City’s next game against Al Ain.

Rico Lewis will miss that clash through suspension after being sent off late on, but Guardiola remains confident in his squad depth.

Foden, who scored and assisted, said he’s focused on starting the season strongly after a frustrating previous campaign.