Ƙaƙƙarfan shawarar Enzo Maresca na sanya Marc Guehi a matsayin mai kula da tsakiyar filin a farkon wasansa na Premier League a jagorancin Manchester City ta haifar da mamaki mai yawa — amma a ƙarshe ta toshe bakin dukkan masu sukar sa lokacin da dan wasan baya ya zura kwallo da kai a minti na 84 ya kuma kawo dawowar ban mamaki a kan Bournemouth.

City sun zo Etihad Stadium suna ɗaukar nauyin shan kashi 3-0 a Community Shield ga zakaran Arsenal mako guda da ya wuce, kuma ga yawancin wasan Lahadi sun yi kama da suna tafiya zuwa takwas mafi muni a jere na biyu. A minti na 84, suna baya a maki kuma suna cikin wahala, dawowar ta yi kama da mafarki. Duk da haka, kwallo ta kai ta Guehi da ƙarshen sanyi na Josko Gvardiol sun cika nasara da ba a zata ba wacce ta canza tattaunawar farkon kakar zuwa baƙin ciki na Manchester United da Tottenham.

Gwajin da ya yi nasara

Shawarar a sa Guehi — dan wasan baya na asali da tsohon kyaftin na Crystal Palace — a matsayin mai kula da tsakiyar filin ya ba masu kallo mamaki kafin ko an buɗe wasan, lokacin da suka ga yana yin atisaye tare da horon City maimakon kasancewa tare da bayan gida huɗu. Sauti na alkalin wasa Jarred Gillett ya tabbatar da abin da da yawa suka tuna.

Guehi da kansa ya yarda cewa canjin ya ba shi mamaki. Yana magana da Sky Sports, ya ce: «Kawai ra'ayi ne da manajan yake da shi, mun yi aiki a kansa a mako. Muna gwada abubuwa daban-daban, muna nema hanyoyi daban-daban don ƙungiyar. Ina farin ciki cewa yau ya biya a ƙarshe.»

Ya kuma gaya wa BBC Sport cewa tsakiyar filin wuri ne da ba a saba da shi ba, amma tallafin kawayen wasa ya taimaka masa: «Na ji dadin sa kawai saboda na sami taimakon yawa daga mutane da yawa. Lokacin da kana da wannan kana jin dadi kawai ka fita ka buga ka yi abin da zaka iya don ƙungiyar.»

Maresca, yana magana a kan BBC Match of the Day, ya bayyana cewa tun can yana da imani cewa Guehi zai iya buga a tsakiya: «Marc Guehi bai taba buga a matsayin dan wasan tsakiya ba, yau ya kasance yana da kyau sosai, don haka ina farin ciki da kokarin 'yan wasan. Ina sanin Marc daga Palace kuma koyaushe naci tunanin zai iya buga a matsayin dan wasan tsakiya saboda yana da kyau. Don haka mun gwada shi kwanaki kaɗan kuma ina tsammanin ya yi kyau sosai.»

Alkaluman da ke goyon bayan haɗarin

Bayan kwallo — ta goma a tarihinsa na Premier League — alkalumar Guehi sun ba da hujja mai ƙarfi don gwajin. Ya ci dukkan tackles dinsa guda uku, mafi yawa a filin, ya kammala kashi 94.9 cikin ɗari na jifafi dinsa 59, ya kuma ci takwas cikin duel 11. Maresca ya nuna bayan ƙarshen lokaci cewa Guehi yanzu yana wakiltar «mafita» a tsakiyar filin.

Yarjejeniyar Bouaddi da sake gina tsakiyar City

Wannan ƙarfin dabara ya zo mintuna 50 kawai kafin fara wasa, lokacin da BBC Sport ta ruwaito cewa City ta yarda kan kuɗin £86 miliyan don sanya hannu kan Ayyoub Bouaddi, ɗan wasan tsakiya na Moroccan ɗan shekaru 18 daga Lille. Maresca ya ce bai taɓa yin magana da masu yanke shawara a kulob din ba kuma bai san game da yarjejeniyar ba. Ana sa ran Bouaddi ya cike babban fanko da barin Rodri mai nasarar Ballon d'Or na 2024 zuwa Barcelona, tare da tafiyar Tijjani Reijnders zuwa Saudi Arabia.

An shirya Bouaddi ya buga a mahalli tare da Elliot Anderson, siyan kulob din mai rikodin, wanda ya nuna kuzari da hankali na tsaro a sa'a guda a wakilcinsa na farko na Premier League. Mateo Kovacic, mai mamakin shi, ya fara wasan a kan kujerar maye.

Tsohon mai tsaron raga na City Joe Hart ya ba da hangen nesa game da girman sauyin a kulob din: «Ina tsammanin City sun yi daidai. Anderson da Guehi a tsakiya abin sha'awa ne amma ba zai kasance na dogon lokaci ba, musamman da Bouaddi zai zo. Wannan kawai shi ne inda Manchester City suke a halin yanzu — sun canza komai game da kansu amma ana ci gaba da tsammaninsu su ci.»

Game da Guehi, yana cikin annashuwa lokacin da aka tambaye shi inda zai iya layi sati mai zuwa: «Wane ne ya sani? Wataƙila a gaba. Za mu gani.»