Ayyoub Bouaddi delighted after making first Manchester City Premier League start

Ayyoub Bouaddi said he was “really happy” to make his first Premier League start for Manchester City as Enzo Maresca’s side held on for a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town.

The Moroccan teenager had previously made three substitute appearances for City, but was rewarded with a place in the starting line-up after an impressive display in the midweek defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

The result also saw Maresca become the first manager in Premier League history to win all seven of his opening fixtures in charge of a club.

Bouaddi played a significant role in midfield as City secured all three points. He recorded 92 touches, won seven ground duels and completed seven passes that broke through the opposition’s lines.

“It was really good. I’m really happy because we won the game,” Bouaddi said after the final whistle.

He acknowledged that Ipswich had made life difficult, particularly after the interval.

“Of course, everything is good. It was a really tough game against a really good team in Ipswich. They put us in trouble in the second half. We won the game and we are really happy with that.”

The teenager said he had been excited to be selected from the start, although he understood that regular first-team opportunities would come as part of his development.

“Of course I was really happy [to start]. It’s football, I really like to play the game. I want to play every game. But I know it’s part of the process and I was really happy with the game today,” he said.

Bouaddi also described the pressure City faced as Ipswich searched for another goal to bring themselves back into the match.

“Of course, you have a bit of pressure. You don’t want them to score again, but we managed it really well. And yes, we were really happy with it,” he added.

The midfielder admitted that playing alongside experienced team-mates had helped him during the game, with their quality allowing them to recover from mistakes.

“It’s easier to play [with players like these], even if sometimes you play a bad pass they can manage everything. They make it successful, so it is a huge honour to play with players like this,” Bouaddi said.

Phil Foden also scored for the first time since December 2025, providing another encouraging moment for City. Bouaddi was pleased to see the England international return to the scoresheet.

“You can ask him the question, but I’m sure he’s really happy and we’re really happy he scored the goal,” he said.

“He’s a great player, important player for the team. Everyone is an important player and we all want to play well all of the time.”

Manchester City’s next match is at home to AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in their next UEFA Champions League league-phase fixture.