Jeremy Doku credits instinct for brilliant opener in Manchester City win

Jeremy Doku says instinct guided his decisive early strike as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory over Brentford FC at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Belgian winger of Ghanaian descent set the tone for a dominant afternoon with a sharp, trademark finish after drifting in from the flank, punishing Brentford’s defensive hesitation.

The move originated from a cleverly executed short corner, with City recycling possession before Doku found himself in space inside the box to unleash a precise effort beyond the goalkeeper.

“Yeah, it looks a bit like the one against Everton,” Doku told the Premier League website.

“We wanted to take the corner short, I was looking for my man, the ball comes back and then I’m inside the box with space to shoot. I did it without thinking and I’m happy it went in.”

Doku’s opener underlined his growing influence in Pep Guardiola’s attacking setup, where his direct running and unpredictability continue to stretch opposition backlines. While his recent scoring form has attracted attention, the 22-year-old was quick to downplay any notion of a transformation in his style of play.

“I’ve always been an instinct player, obviously today it’s working out, I’ve scored some goals but if you look at the game, I always play like this. Now the goals are coming, people are going to say wow, but I haven’t been a different player,” he continued.

His comments reflect a player confident in his natural approach, rather than one adjusting to newfound expectations. Against Brentford, that belief was evident in how he repeatedly challenged his marker and exploited pockets of space, particularly after identifying the defender’s intent to force him onto his weaker side.

“After the first chance I had, the right-back tried to really close my right foot, they wanted to test me with speed but on the goal, that was the first time I had the space to come inside.”