Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush has named a Chelsea star as the toughest opponent he has faced in the Premier League.
Marmoush moved to the Etihad from Eintracht Frankfurt in January in a transfer worth around £65million and has proven a handful for defenders ever since.
The Egypt international has recorded seven goals and three assists in just 19 Premier League appearances, earning praise for his electric pace and trickery.
It’s not all been rosey however, with City failing to win a single trophy last year, suffering early exits in the Champions League and Club World Cup, while Marmoush had a penalty saved in the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace.
The 2025/26 campaign has not got off to the best of starts either, with Pep Guardiola’s team losing two of their opening three games.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it’s an open goal.
During his first nine months in England, Marmoush has come up against some very impressive defenders like Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba and Marc Guehi.
But when asked to name his toughest Premier League opponent, the 26-year-old said: ‘Until now, it was Reece James.
‘It was my first Premier League game. He’s fast, strong and has quality on the ball. He gave me a tough time.
‘I haven’t played much in the Premier League yet, but I’ll say James for now.’
Marmoush made his City debut against Chelsea in January, playing on the left-wing against right-back James.
And while the Blues captain managed to keep the debutant quiet for the most part, the Citizens came from behind to win 3-1 thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
James has also earned strong praise from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, who believes the 24-year-old is now England’s first-choice right-back.
‘When you look at what he’s capable of doing, defending, passing,’ the former Three Lions star said after England beat Andorra in World Cup qualifying.
‘Even if he inverts and goes into the midfield, he’s comfortable there and we’ve seen that if he gets the time and space he can cross the ball and put it pinpoint. Defensively very sound.’
Unless drawn against each other in the Carabao Cup, Marmoush won’t get the chance to test himself against James again until January 3 when City host Chelsea in the league.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
