Jeremy Doku is proving to be one of Manchester City's most electrifying attackers this season, and the Belgian winger is taking inspiration from a familiar face to take his game to the next level.
On Saturday evening, Doku broke the deadlock in City's commanding 3-0 victory over Brentford, curling a brilliant effort into the top-right corner just past the hour mark. The goal came just days after he scored a stunning brace against Everton on Monday, including a jaw-dropping 90+7th minute equalizer from distance that kept City's title hopes alive despite dropping two crucial points.
But while Doku's highlights reel is full of spectacular strikes, the 23-year-old is aiming for something more grounded—simple tap-ins. In a candid post-match interview with Sky Sports, Doku revealed he's studying Raheem Sterling's time at City as a blueprint for becoming a more complete goalscorer.
"There is one thing; when I look at my goals, all the goals this season, I don't see one tap-in," Doku explained. "And when I look at, for example, Raheem Sterling and his seasons at Manchester City, all the tap-ins that he scored, at least five, six, seven a season."
Sterling, now at Chelsea, was renowned for his poacher's instinct during his seven-year stint at the Etihad, often arriving at the back post to convert simple chances. Doku believes adding that dimension to his game is the next step in his evolution under Pep Guardiola.
"When I look at my goals, it's all top goals, don't get me wrong—but I want to score also those goals where I just tap-in, second post, run in and tap-in—and it just adds more goals to my account," Doku said. "That's really the thing that I need to work on. These goals will come, they'll be there every time but if I add easy goals, you have to be there—that's the aspect I want to work on. To not only stay on the side and do my actions and score those types of goals, but also the easy tap-ins."
City's 3-0 win over Brentford, completed by Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush, moved them to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. With Doku now targeting a more well-rounded scoring approach alongside his trademark flair, City's attack looks even more dangerous as the title race heats up.