Ayyoub Bouaddi was again an unused substitute as Manchester City faced Aston Villa, with manager Enzo Maresca saying his side selected Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden because it needed “technical” midfielders.

The decision has left Bouaddi, a 19-year-old Morocco international, still waiting for a more regular role since arriving at Manchester City. His lack of playing time was raised with Maresca after the match, prompting an explanation that has since attracted scrutiny.

“I think against PSG it was a little different. Today, we needed technical midfielders, which is why Cherki and Foden played,” Maresca said.

The Manchester City manager then stressed that Bouaddi remained part of his plans.

“But there is no doubt that Bouaddi is going to help us. Enzo and Elliot both played a very good game. We have a lot of matches to play and, of course, Bouaddi will have playing time.”

The wording appears open to interpretation, particularly given that technical ability is regarded as one of Bouaddi’s principal strengths. Maresca may have been referring not simply to close control or passing, but to the ability to create chances and unsettle defences in advanced areas.

Cherki and Foden undoubtedly offer greater creativity and more capacity to produce openings in the final third. However, Bouaddi’s own figures suggest the distinction cannot be reduced to a straightforward comparison of technical quality.

In the 2026-2027 Premier League season, Bouaddi has completed 92.37% of his passes. That is a higher proportion than Cherki’s 90.91% and Foden’s 88.5%.

Bouaddi has also averaged 1.48 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, ahead of Foden’s 0.79 and just behind Cherki’s 1.63. His record for losing possession is also better than Foden’s, with 1.48 such instances per 90 minutes compared with 2.11. Cherki, however, has a slightly lower figure of 1.43.

Those statistics provide some context but need to be treated carefully. Bouaddi has played only 122 minutes of league football, while Cherki has featured for 441 minutes and Foden for 341.

Their positions and responsibilities are different too. Cherki and Foden generally operate closer to the opposition goal, where they are expected to take more risks and influence attacks directly. That may explain the qualities Maresca had in mind when he described the midfielders he wanted against Aston Villa.

Bouaddi recently spoke of his admiration for Andres Iniesta, recalling how he watched compilations of the former midfielder on YouTube during his childhood. He will now have to wait for the opportunities Maresca has promised, with those chances offering him the chance to challenge the current midfield order.