Friday 11 July 2014

A diamond in the rough under Roberto Mancini, Samir Nasri's Manchester City career looked to be at a dead end just a year ago. Now though, the Frenchman is an all new light having been rewarded with a contract extension that will see him in a Sky Blue shirt until 2016 for his performances last season. This has completed Nasri's transformation under Manuel Pellegrinni as he is now one of true sparkling jewels in Manchester City's squad.

At the start of last season, it looked the bench jokes about Nasri would continue when he was on the substitutes list when City kicked off their campaign against Newcastle at the Etihad. During the match though, when Yaya Toure scored his first of many free kicks of the season, he celebrated with a warming up Nasri on the touchline. It was then you saw a Nasri that wanted a piece of the action, and wasn't gonna fuel his haters. His wish was granted when Pellegrinni threw him on and he wouldn't regret it. The former Arsenal ace hit the ground running and scored City's fourth goal after intercepting a poor pass from Newcastle and dispatching it, and this foreshadowed his upcoming season.

Although he looked good enough to start, Nasri's big break of the season came early on when David Silva picked up an injury. The creative midfielder looked the perfect replacement for the Spaniard and showed that he was a whole new different player under Pellegrinni in his performance in the Manchester Derby. Scoring a goal and playing a crucial part in the previous goals, he showed the confidence he inherited and from there Nasri never looked back and became a first name on the teamsheet.

What made Samir Nasri shine bright like the diamond he was at Arsenal was his creativity. He created the most chances in the Premier League along with Chelsea's Eden Hazard with 92 scoring opportunites made. He also had a wing man in David Silva at his side. Although David Silva's injury put Nasri in the lineup, his return kept him in it as the two developed a great partnership on the field. On the field they played slick short passes and taught defenders basic geometry with the shapes they drew with their passing.

Quick with his feet and great vision for his teammates, Nasri also has an eye for goal. His goals in the Capital One Cup final and late Premier League encounter against Sunderland respectively were crucial to the addition of new silverware to City's trophy cabinet. He also opened the scoring against West Ham on the final match day of the season in which City won the Premier League.

Samir Nasri's commitment to the Premier League champions should be as exciting as opening the present from Santa under the Christmas tree. After a largely forgettable season he turned in an unforgettable season, one in which he propelled his side to the title. Now though, he should take his game to the next level along with his teammates, and must put in the performances he did in the Premier League in the UEFA Champions League, and then he may be much more than just a player in City's history books, he may be a legend.



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