Eliaquim Mangala Shines in Manchester City Debut, Wins Man of the Match
Eliaquim Mangala made an impressive start to his Manchester City career with a standout performance against Chelsea in the Premier League’s fifth round, earning the Man of the Match award.
The French-Belgian defender, of Congolese descent, joined City in a high-profile deal reportedly worth over €40 million. Despite not having played competitively for five months prior to his debut, Mangala’s display showed great promise and composure.
City captain Vincent Kompany praised his teammate after the match, describing Mangala as “fantastic.” Speaking to Mancity.fr, Kompany said: “He hasn’t played for five months, and that shows how much better he could be. But it seems like he’s eager to improve, which is important given his young age.”
Kompany added: “Obviously, you can see with all these qualities that he could be more than just a good defender. He’ll need time, like everyone else, and with time he’ll improve.”
Mangala’s confident debut is a welcome boost for Manchester City as they look to bolster their defence this season.
