'Trust the process with Nunes'
Pep Guardiola has been a long-time admirer of Matheus Nunes.
He was part of the Sporting Lisbon side beaten 5-0 by Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie back in February 2022. Afterwards, Guardiola described the Portugal international as "one of the best players in the world today".
Fast forward to September 2023, and just days after his 25th birthday, Nunes finally became a Guardiola player. He made the switch from Wolves, signing a five-year contract in a reported deal worth £53m.
Saturday’s victory over Luton Town was only Nunes' seventh Premier League start for City, all of them against sides in the bottom half of the table.
Watching on from the press box, Nunes looks more than comfortable in a Manchester City shirt. Six feet tall and clearly technically very able, he was seen demanding the ball from Kevin de Bruyne and Mateo Kovacic, posed a constant offensive threat, and was a kiss off a Luton post away from scoring his first goal for the club.
So why does he not play more? The obvious argument is the depth of talent and competition for places he faces from his team-mates. Scratching a little deeper, Nunes was at fault for the Luton goal. A heavy touch while receiving the ball on the edge of his box from Ederson, which Ross Barkley seized upon, and finished off superbly.
Former City midfielder and BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown believes this was an example of just why Nunes has not started in the 'bigger' games.
Speaking during Final Score, Brown said: “Because of that little mistake, that detail, Pep Guardiola just hasn't got the trust [in him]."
Nunes will not be the first high-profile player not to hit the ground running under Guardiola. Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling all took a season to adapt.
Even in the news conference after their Luton victory, Guardiola spoke of Josko Gvardiol's ongoing tactical journey in his pursuit of more regular game time.
It is possible Nunes could end the season being part of a Treble-winning side, which would go some way to easing his likely frustration. He only needs to look around the dressing room to find evidence of 'trust the process'.
