Following Omar Marmoush’s stellar season in the Bundesliga, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola claimed he was not surprised by the 26-year-old striker’s hat-trick on Saturday.
Erling Haaland of City and Alexander Isak of Newcastle, two of the league’s most spectacular goal scorers, had been the focus of all the pregame chatter, but Marmoush stole the show with his first hat-trick in City’s 4-0 Premier League thumping of Newcastle United.
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“We knew it,” Guardiola said of the striker signed last month from Eintracht Frankfurt for 59 million pounds ($74.25 million).
“So in Germany, in Frankfurt, he makes a good number.
“Against Orient (City’s 2-1 FA Cup win last Saturday), had three clear chances, could not score.
“So we knew sooner or later, the dynamic in the group was good and the performance was good, he could show what he is.
“Hopefully he can handle the compliments.”
The fact that the Egyptian, who has already scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga this season, scored his hat-trick in 13 first-half minutes to rank second in the German scoring chart after Harry Kane of Bayern Munich was even more astounding.
Guardiola responded, “Listen, it’s simple, the answer,” when asked how Marmoush was able to start out so well at City. Everyone adjusts fast when you play well.
“When (the team doesn’t) play good, you need time. It’s a guy who likes to attack space to help to create. But when we play in the way we played today, everyone is better.”
According to Marmoush, his favourite goal was his first one in the 19th minute, a lob over the head of Martin Dubravka, who was charging at him.
“Looking at the replay (of the first goal), I was celebrating and feeling extremely happy,” said Marmoush, who tucked the match ball under his arm after the final whistle.
“Thank God for scoring the hat-trick and that we won. That’s the most important thing.”
Ederson, the city keeper, created history with that goal. He had more assists—six—than any other custodian in Premier League history thanks to his long chipped pass to Marmoush.
“We need the pass, we need the movement, we need many things, and today we have it,” Guardiola said.
Late in the game, Haaland went down gripping his knee and grimacing during some difficult moments. Guardiola did not seem concerned that it was a serious injury, and he was able to leave the pitch on foot.
“When he was down everyone was scared, but he got up and he walked smiling like always,” Guardiola said.
“I didn’t speak with him. I didn’t speak with the doctors. But if the doctors didn’t come with bad news, hopefully he’ll be fine.”
Guardiola’s team is behind 3-2 from the first leg of their Champions League playoff match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, so City won’t have much time to recover after their victory on Saturday.