Any doubts about Riyad Mahrez’s commitment have been well and truly extinguished.
The Leicester City playmaker has been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium, with Arsenal thought to be one of the clubs sniffing around the Algerian.
Some were surprised to see him in the starting line-up for the International Champions Cup meeting with Celtic, but he quickly showed he wasn’t just in Glasgow for a quiet run-out.
Mahrez scored a goal to remind us of some of the magic he was able to produce time and time again last season, taking out two Celtic players with sumptuous footwork before cutting in from the right and curling a shot into the top corner.
https://twitter.com/bylka613/status/756906794966851584
It was a goal worthy of any game, but it produced some fair and balanced responses from those watching the game.
Only joking, they completely lost their shit.
Are you seeing Riyad Mahrez
— MP 🇳🇬🇿🇦 (@therealmp__) July 23, 2016
Mahrez🔥🔥🔥
— DayoDMayor/MUFC🔴🔴 (@dayodmayor24) July 23, 2016
Mahrez🔥🔥🔥
— DayoDMayor/MUFC🔴🔴 (@dayodmayor24) July 23, 2016
Mahrez is filth! Love the way he plays
— Andy López (@ailopez23) July 23, 2016
Mahrez hasn't changed one bit. Still just as immense as last season. Everytime he touches the ball, things happen.#ICC2016 #CELLEI
— Lee5657 (feat. Pitbull) (@lee565744) July 23, 2016
Leicester have been written off as potential title challengers, despite romping to the title by 10 points last season, with the exit of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea cited as one of the main factors.
And, while it’s never sensible to read too much into pre-season friendlies, it is at least worth remembering that – in Mahrez and Jamie Vardy – Claudio Ranieri has two players who delivered the goods last season and are very capable of doing the same again in 2016/17.
