City slipped to a 4-2 loss against PSG at the Etihad on Wednesday night, but the second-half introduction of Iliman Ndiaye offered a glimpse of something different for Enzo Maresca.
A triple change that shifted the tempo
With his side 3-0 down to the back-to-back European champions, Maresca made a triple substitution, bringing on Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and Matheus Nunes for Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Ruben Dias.
Bouaddi took control of the midfield battle against Luis Enrique's side, but it was Ndiaye's impact on the left flank that caught the eye. The Senegalese winger slotted straight in on the left wing after halftime and didn't give Achraf Hakimi a moment's peace.
Ndiaye grabbed an assist by setting up Erling Haaland's first goal in the 53rd minute with a superb cross that Haaland headed home. It was the kind of contribution that underlined his quality.
More than just a dribbler
Described as an elite dribbler, Ndiaye is also a tireless worker out of possession. His work rate helped City keep Hakimi quiet in the second half, and it was arguably his best 45 minutes for the club.
In terms of what he offers Maresca on the wing, Ndiaye is different to Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku. In possession, he can pin an opponent's full-backs back. Opposing full-backs have no idea which way he will go or what he will do, and much like Doku, this is an element of City's attacking play that makes them so hard to contain.
There were plenty of positives to take from the match for Maresca and City supporters, and Ndiaye's second-half display was chief among them.