Ait-Nouri determined to add goals to his game for Man City

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is keen to become a regular goalscorer for Manchester City after hitting the back of the net in a pre-season friendly.

Ait-Nouri was on target in City’s 3-1 win over the K-League All-Stars on Wednesday, with Tijjani Reijnders and Divin Mubama also scoring.

It was Ait-Nouri’s first goal for City since joining last June, with the Algerian making 31 competitive appearances last season (including the Club World Cup).

Last season across all competitions, Ait-Nouri generated just 1.1 expected goals (xG) from 19 shots (five on target).

He still made an impact in the final third, registering five assists from 30 chances created, but Ait-Nouri is determined to be the one doing the scoring.

“I would like to,” he said when asked if he wanted to score more often.

“It was my first goal for City, and it’s a part of the game I really enjoy. I have always tried to play in an attacking way, but I don’t score all the time.

“It’s a real sensation for me, and I want to learn every day, work more and more to add as much to my game as I can.”

Come for the footwork, stay for the finish! ‍ pic.twitter.com/t86UnSWKwf

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 5, 2026

Ait-Nouri looks set to play a more advanced role under Enzo Maresca, as he lined up alongside Phil Foden and Antoine Semeyo behind striker Mubama.

Their win over the K-League XI was their first under Maresca, and City are set to end their pre-season tour of Asia against Atletico Madrid before facing Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16.

“It will be a different game than the last two games,” Ait-Nouri added.

“We really enjoy playing this kind of game against one of the better teams in Europe; it will help us really prepare for next season.

“We know about Atletico’s level, and it will be good to play them before we face Arsenal next week.”

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