Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany feels that hat-trick hero Omar Marmoush "needed that performance" against Newcastle United to "rubber-stamp" the belief shown in him by the Citizens following his January move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
After scoring 15 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances for Frankfurt at the start of this season, Marmoush failed to find the net in any of his first four games for Man City following his £63m transfer last month, despite showing glimpses of his quality.
However, Marmoush truly announced himself to the Etihad faithful in Man City's dominant 4-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend, scoring his first senior hat-trick within the space of just 14 first-half minutes.
Marmoush stated after the match that this is "just the beginning" of what is to come from him in a Man City shirt, and McInerney believes that the Egyptian is now growing in confidence at his new club.
"I thought Marmoush needed that performance. I was a little bit worried that if Marmoush didn't get a few goals relatively soon, he would maybe lose some of that belief in himself that he'd built up over in Germany," McInerney told Sports Mole.
"There's always a narrative when you're moving to a new league. Can you handle the change? Will you suit the football? There's not a single footballer in the world that isn't aware of that, who doesn't think about these things, because they're only human.
'Marmoush believes he belongs at Man City'
"He hadn't scored in his first four games and I don't think that would have been playing on his mind too much, but I definitely think we were getting to the point where if he'd gone seven or eight [games without scoring], people would start to go, 'a lot of money there and the guy hasn't scored yet'.
"I felt like he needed this game to sort of rubber-stamp that conviction, the confidence that he brought over with him from Frankfurt and the Bundesliga. I don't really see any way now that he won't feel like himself here. Obviously, he'll have performances that aren't his very best, but I think he'll feel that he can do it now over here. That's a big part of the battle."
Marmoush has been signed by Man City, during a turbulent 2024-25 campaign thus far, to provide a different dimension to Pep Guardiola's attack as well as offer support to leading marksman Erling Haaland, and McInerney is 'really excited' by the partnership these two players are set to form in attack.
"I was really impressed. His movement is excellent," said McInerney. "He's such a different threat because we've obviously got Erling Haaland that everyone likes to double-up on, but if you do that (play balls in behind defences) you get the movement of Marmoush.
"Ederson picked him out with that long assist, a great pass, and then the movement for Marmoush's third goal for his hat-trick [was] classic centre-forward play.
"The second goal was really smart as well. Cutting inside, taking the shot early. That was a classic Marmoush goal in the Bundesliga, where he gets a deflection, but he's a very much he-makes-his-own-luck kind of player where he tries things and they come off.
© Imago
"He looks confident. He looks like he believes he belongs here. I'm very excited because I think we needed a foil for Haaland for an awful long time. This big-man-little-man partnership with runners behind him, it could be really exciting for City."
Marmoush's treble against Newcastle fired Man City back into the top four, although Guardiola's side still have work to do to secure Champions League football for next season as there are just seven points separating themselves in fourth from Brighton & Hove Albion in 10th with 13 Premier League games remaining.
"I trust the talent in these players because it's very clearly there"
McInerney was also impressed by the "extraordinary" performances of fellow new signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez against Newcastle, the latter of whom was handed his full Premier League debut, and he believes that the introduction of these new, younger players bodes well for Man City's future and their quest to secure a top-four finish.
"I'm aware that nothing's linear and there'll be problems, but I do think there's a reason to be excited," he added. "I think the holes that City have had, they show signs of being plugged. I trust the talent in these players because it's very clearly there.
"I think there is reason to be optimistic because it's very obvious to me that a lot of City's problems came down to a lack of legs and a lack of composure.
"If Nico Gonzalez can carry on his form, if Marmoush can keep being as good as he is, if Khusanov emerges as a real prospect [in defence] instead of [Manuel] Akanji who is injured, then why not believe?"
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Oliver Thomas
