Pep Guardiola hailed shy scorer Jeremy Doku as his first goal for Manchester City sparked a second-half comeback against West Ham in the capital to keep them top of the Premier League.
The £55million summer signing from Rennes scored 44 seconds into the second period to set City on the path to victory as Guardiola also marked his return from recent back surgery with a win.
Doku, 21, was only starting due to an injury to Jack Grealish and the City boss said: ‘I have to be honest I didn’t expect in the second game, that he would play like he did!
‘In his first game I had the feeling he played a little bit shy.
‘When you buy a young player like him for four, five years you have to be patient. We can’t expect too much.
Jeremy Doku (second from right) scored his first City goal to haul the champions back on level terms after half-time
Doku clinically dispatched beyond Areola just a minute after the restart to kickstart City’s comeback in the capital, which led to an eventual 3-1 win over the Hammers in London
Doku secured his first goal for the treble-winning side after joining for £55million this summer
‘His first game against Fulham was only so so. It’s normal. He had just arrived, had two or three days training with the team who had won the Treble.
‘But this time — no. This time was much better. There are positives, he has to learn. Everyone has to be themselves as a player.’
Doku was a handful throughout the match and conceded afterwards that Guardiola’s pep talk had made all the difference.
The Belgium international said: ‘He said the first game I was a little bit shy but now no. As he said, I was a little bit less shy today.
‘The goal meant a lot, especially after their goal because it came off me. I wanted to do give something back, something good. I helped the team which I’m glad about.’
West Ham’s Czech defender Vladimir Coufal was pitted against the tricky winger who added: ‘The manager said to try this to bring a lot of players to me and it worked. I enjoyed the game against him (Coufal) of course.’
