I found it very difficult to overcome Mohammed Kudus—Josko Gvardiol of Man City.

Josko Gvardiol, a defender for Manchester City Football Club, identified Mohammed Kudus, a midfielder from Ghana, as the opponent he faced the greatest difficulty against during the previous campaign.

Days after Manchester City defeated West Ham United 3-1 at the London Stadium in the 2024–2025 season, he made this statement in an interview that went viral online.

Kudus starred in his debut season in the English  Premier League with West Ham after joining the team from Ajax Amsterdam. His fine form reflected in the former FC Nordsjaelland player finishing second in West Ham’s Player of the Season Awards.

Speaking on the difficulty he had playing against Kudus, Gvardiol, highlighted the Black Stars player’s brilliant bicycle kick goal he scored in the season’s finale at the Etihad Stadium.

“I remember the first game [last season], he was on the bench so he came in for the last 15-20 minutes…he was playing on my side so I already was like Ah, he’s quite good. He looks sharp and he’s good on the ball. Then I remember the second game of the season, at the end of the season, the Bicycle kick. He was the one who I struggled the most to play against.”