Riyad Mahrez was Africa’s star performer across Europe this weekend, as his sensational FA Cup semifinal hat-trick set Manchester City on their way to a final date with rivals Manchester United, while also writing some competition history in the process.
The Algerian became the first hat-trick scorer in an FA Cup semifinal since former Preston North End hero Alex Dawson for United in 1958 — when he met Jack Grealish‘s deft through-ball with an emphatic left-footed finish.
Never before has a player marked a Wembley FA Cup semifinal by scoring three goals, as City beat Sheffield United 3-0.
City boss Pep Guardiola shared a glimpse into the player’s attitude when he hasn’t been starting for the club, which, for a player of the Algerian’s quality, has been a relatively common occurrence during the Spaniard’s reign.
“He’s grumpy with me when he doesn’t play, all the time,” Guardiola told journalists after the match. “He makes me notice when he’s grumpy.
“He’s not a guy who has a contract, has to do his job, thinks [about] how many hours I have to train, do my job and go home, completely the opposite,” he continued.
“He loves to be in contact with the ball, that’s why when he’s upset [not] to play is because he wants to play.”
