Rayan Cherki achieves Premier League first as Man City and Arsenal clash in title showdown at Etihad

Manchester City forward Rayan Cherki has become the first Premier League player to score at least 10 goals and provide at least 10 assists in all competitions.

City faced Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday in a game that was billed as a title decider, and the hosts struck first through Cherki, who danced his way through the Gunners' defence in the 15th minute.

The lead did not last long though, with Kai Havertz scoring after a mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 18th minute.

While heading into the interval level was not the ideal scenario, it should not be brushed aside that Cherki became the first Premier League player to score at least 10 goals and register at least 10 assists in all competitions this season.

The Frenchman has now found the back of the net 10 times, and he has provided a further 13 assists, with four of those goals and 10 of those assists coming in the Premier League.

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Is Rayan Cherki the difference between Man City and Arsenal?

Cherki took some time to settle into life under Pep Guardiola, with the attacker finding it difficult to come to terms with the intensity and physicality of English football.

However, the 22-year-old is now flourishing in Manchester, and his strike against Arsenal was his fourth goal involvement in his last four Premier League games.

Guardiola has given the forward a degree of freedom in the final third, and perhaps the manager's trust in Chekri could be the difference in the title race.

Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have often looked blunt in attack, and City's attacking firepower could give them the edge over the remainder of the season if they can win on Sunday.

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Did Pep Guardiola make the right choice between Florian Wirtz and Cherki?

Man City were widely reported to have held interest in Florian Wirtz prior to his move to Liverpool in the summer, but the German has struggled at Anfield.

Should Cherki lead City to their seventh Premier League title in nine seasons, then it is hard to argue that the Citizens made the wrong choice in the transfer market.

The 22-year-old also only cost the club £34m in the summer, and he may prove to be one of the division's biggest bargains.