April 23 (Reuters) – Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez hopes his historic hat-trick against Sheffield United in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final will see him in the future Continue to stay in coach Guardiola’s starting lineup during the game.
“There are a lot of players in the squad and everyone is looking for opportunities,” the Algerian playmaker told BeIN Sports after City beat Sheffield United 3-0 to reach the final.
“If you get the chance, you have to prove to the coach that you deserve to play.”
Mahrez, 32, did not feature in City’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, which Guardiola’s men won 4-1 on aggregate.
But he was the hero against Second Division side Sheffield, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final since 1958 and the first for City to secure a treble at Wembley.
“We compete with each other, we motivate each other and improve for the good of the team. We’ll see how it goes in the next few games,” added Mahrez, who has made 38 appearances for City this season. Scored 15 goals. season.
Guardiola says Riyad Mahrez is always “tempered” when he is not playing.
Guardiola said: “He kept telling me he was short-tempered. Not today. He’s a fantastic player, his game is fantastic. A player with a scoring mentality on the biggest stage.”
City are aiming for a hat-trick this season as they face bitter rivals Manchester United or Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup final on June 3.
