Rayan Ait-Nouri Aims for More Goals Under Maresca
Rayan Ait-Nouri is not content just to settle into life under Enzo Maresca. He wants to leave his mark on the scoresheet as well.
Fresh from his first goal for City in the win over a K-League XI, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender spoke with the urgency of a player who has tasted something and wants more of it.
“I would like to,” he said when asked if he wants to score more regularly. “It was my first goal for City, and it's a part of the game I really enjoy. I have always tried to play in an attacking way, but I don't score all the time.
“It's a real sensation for me, and I want to learn every day, work more and more to add as much to my game as I can.”
A new role, a new threat
Maresca’s blueprint is already reshaping Ait-Nouri’s game. The 25-year-old operated in a far more advanced role than he grew used to in the Premier League, pushed higher up the pitch behind striker Mubama and flanked by Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo.
Instead of hugging the touchline and building from deep, he found himself drifting into pockets, linking play and arriving closer to goal. The reward: that first strike in City colours and a glimpse of what Maresca expects from him.
City’s victory over the K-League XI did more than open their account under the new head coach. It offered a first clear look at how this side might evolve: full-backs stepping into midfield, attackers rotating, and Ait-Nouri encouraged to trust his instincts in the final third.
The message is clear. Defending is no longer his only job.
Atletico on the horizon, Arsenal beyond
City close their pre-season tour with a markedly tougher assignment: Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The K-League XI win brought relief and a sense of progress, but Atletico bring a very different kind of examination.
“It will be a different game than the last two games,” Ait-Nouri said. “We really enjoy playing this kind of game against one of the better teams in Europe; it will help us really prepare for next season.
“We know about Atletico's level, and it will be good to play them before we face Arsenal next week.”
The step up is sharp. From a showcase against a select XI to the controlled aggression of Atletico, then straight into a meeting with Arsenal. For Ait-Nouri, that means more minutes in his new role, more chances to attack, more responsibility.
If this pre-season is about building habits, he has already chosen his: push higher, take risks, and treat that “real sensation” of scoring as something that must become routine rather than a rare thrill.
