Manchester City star hailed as ‘almost impossible to stop’ by Belgian defender

Stade de Reims defender Thibaut De Smet has hailed Manchester City’s summer recruit Jeremy Doku as “almost impossible to stop” during a recent interview.

The Belgium international forward made the switch to the Etihad Stadium during the most recent summer transfer window, as Manchester City officials looked to replace Riyad Mahrez with a new threat in their attacking line.

Formerly of RSC Anderlecht and Stade Rennais, Doku has enjoyed a fruitful start to life with the Premier League champions scoring vital goals in away trips to both West Ham in the English top-flight and RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.

Jeremy Doku’s frightening speed has left opposition defenders with little to no answers when it comes to stopping the Manchester City forward, and now one of the 21-year-old’s former opponents has spoken out on exactly what it is like to play against the winger.

Speaking during a recent conversation with Het Nieuwsblad, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Stade de Reims’ Thibaut De Smet has recalled facing Jeremy Doku in Ligue 1 action, labelling the now-Manchester City sensation as “one of the best players” he has ever faced.

“I remember well that Thomas Foket and I were talking about (Jeremy) Doku before the match,” De Smet stated. “When we saw that he started the match, we said to each other: hopefully he is on your side, or it will be a long match.

“Because against a player like that it is just a tough 90 minutes. In the end he was on the right, so I had it.”

De Smet continued, “I’d say it’s almost impossible to stop him. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played against. The only thing that can help is defending with two men.

“But when you face him one-on-one, with his starting speed, he only needs to give the ball one tap to pass you.”

Jeremy Doku is expected to return to Manchester City in the coming days as he concluded his latest call-up with the Belgium national team on Monday night, with the player expected to play a role in the upcoming Premier League clash against Brighton.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side travel to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon, as Pep Guardiola and his players hope to bounce back from three successive domestic defeats across all competitions, with the most recent being a 1-0 loss against Premier League title-chasing Arsenal.