Manchester City are enjoying a successful season, but Riyad Mahrez has taken advantage of the occasion to joke about with his former teammate. After defeating Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Julian Alvarez, Manchester City celebrated winning a third Premier League title in a row.
However, even before the ball had been kicked by City against Frank Lampard’s Blues, they already knew they would win a third straight title. Their closest rivals Arsenal may have maintained their tenuous chances with a victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but Taiwo Awoniyi’s sole striker handed them a defeat and secured safety for Steve Cooper’s side.
Riyad Mahrez teasing Arsenal star after title win
Riyad Mahrez is in frequent communication with Oleksandr Zinchenko, a former player of City, according to the winger himself. Last summer, the Ukrainian player departed The Etihad to sign with Arsenal. Since relocating to London, Zinchenko has excelled and is credited with helping the Arsenal fight for the league crown.
Zinchenko, though, is left with a sour taste in his mouth as City are now champions. And given Arsenal’s struggles, Riyad Mahrez’s mood has become rather comical. In fact, the Algerian winger admitted that he is currently using text messages and phone calls to “kill” Zinchenko.
Despite having a fantastic season overall, Arsenal nevertheless fell far short. City has demonstrated class in recent months by dominating. And for Riyad Mahrez, it has just made his friendship with Zinchenko that more sweeter. Mahrez openly admitted to beIN Sports in reference to his constant bombardment of messages to the Arsenal star:
“I’m killing him. Always on the phone to him. He’s my friend yeah. We always joke about things but he’s a bit sad at the moment. So yeah, I’ll wait until we lift the trophy and then I’ll call him.”
While his gametime might have gone down in the last couple of seasons, Riyad Mahrez was still a key player for City lifting their fifth title in last six years. The Algeria international scored 5 goals and picked up 10 assists in 20 starts in the Premier League. He will now focus on helping City to a historic treble as they play the Champions League and FA Cup finals next month against Inter and Manchester United respectively.
Meanwhile, Zinchenko has unquestionably had a really good impact on Arsenal. He and Gabriel Jesus have both helped Arsenal reach the next level, which should benefit them moving ahead. There must be another factor, though, that is really hurting for Zinchenko right now, since he has had to see his Arsenal teammates fall short. Clearly, Riyad Mahrez and Zinchenko are making light of the situation, but the Ukrainian will suffer in the long run.