Rayan Cherki was called “arrogant” for his actions in the second-half of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. The thing is, modern football needs more Cherki’s than ever before. Without moments like this, football is dead…

The Carabao Cup final at Wembley was already full of tension noise pressure and big moments Manchester City were doing their job controlling the game while Arsenal were trying to fight back and find something special but in the middle of all that something small happened something that should have just been a normal football moment but instead it became one of the biggest talking points of the night and even after the game people were still arguing about it

It was Rayan Cherki on the ball second half not near the goal not in a dangerous position just in a simple area of the pitch and instead of playing the safe pass like most players would do today he did something different he lifted the ball and did three quick kick ups one two three simple confident almost playful and for a second it felt like football was free again like someone removed all the pressure and structure and just let a player enjoy himself

But that moment did not land the same way for everyone because almost immediately Gary Neville reacted on commentary and his words changed everything he said it was too early for that he called it arrogant and suddenly what looked like confidence became something else in the eyes of many people something negative something unnecessary something disrespectful

And that is how modern football works now one small moment one small action and it gets judged quickly from every angle players cannot just express themselves without someone questioning it and that is exactly what happened to Cherki in that moment because not only did Neville criticise him but the reaction on the pitch also told a story

Ben White did not like it at all he saw it as disrespect or maybe frustration from the situation and he went into a strong challenge on Cherki almost like sending a message that this is not the place for that kind of behaviour and even on the touchline Pep Guardiola was shaking his head not impressed not smiling not enjoying the moment even though his team was winning

So in just a few seconds Cherki went from entertaining to controversial from creative to criticised and all he did was three kick ups and that is what makes this story so interesting because it is not really about the kick ups it is about what football has become and what people expect from players now

Modern football is very controlled very structured every player has instructions every movement is planned every pass has a purpose and because of that players are always thinking about risk what is safe what is not safe what the coach will say what the fans will say what the pundits will say and slowly without people really noticing creativity has started to disappear

There was a time when players would try things without fear when they would dribble take risks entertain the crowd players like Ronaldinho would do things that made people smile things that did not always follow logic but made football beautiful and then you have Jay-Jay Okocha a player that fans in Nigeria will never forget because he played with freedom with joy with confidence he did not always choose the safe option he chose the exciting one

Those players made football feel alive

But now things are different now you see players pass sideways pass backwards recycle the ball again and again not because they cannot do more but because they are told to be careful to keep possession to avoid mistakes and slowly the game becomes predictable and sometimes even boring

That is why Cherki moment matters so much because for a few seconds he did something that broke that pattern he reminded people that football can still be fun still be creative still be expressive and that is why many fans defended him because they saw something they have been missing for a long time

Some people online said football needs more players like him not less players who are brave enough to try something different players who are not afraid of making mistakes players who want to entertain not just win and that idea connects with something Ruud Gullit once said when he talked about how modern football has lost some of its joy he said he is waiting for players who will dare again who will take on defenders who will bring excitement back into the game

And that word joy is important because football is not just about tactics or results it is about how it makes people feel when you watch a game you want to feel something you want excitement you want surprise you want moments that stay in your mind long after the match ends

Cherki gave that moment

Yes it was small yes it did not lead to a goal yes it did not change the result but it made people react it made people talk it made people feel something and that is valuable in a game that sometimes feels too controlled

Of course there are arguments against it and they are not completely wrong because Neville point about timing makes sense if the game was still open if Arsenal scored after that moment people would say Cherki was careless or disrespectful and Guardiola reaction also makes sense because as a manager he wants focus discipline control he does not want players doing things that could risk possession or change momentum

But football cannot only be about control it cannot only be about avoiding mistakes because if that happens completely the game loses something important it loses personality it loses creativity it loses that unpredictable feeling that makes fans fall in love with it

And that is why this moment has become bigger than just one action in one match it has become a symbol of the debate between old thinking and new reality between structure and freedom between safety and expression

Cherki showed confidence he showed bravery because not every player would do that in a cup final on such a big stage with millions watching he knew people might criticise him he knew his manager might not like it but he still did it and that says something about his mentality

Players like that are rare players who are not afraid to be themselves players who trust their ability players who are willing to take risks and those are often the players that create magic moments the players that change games the players that people remember

Years from now people might forget some details of that final they might forget certain passes or tactical decisions but moments like that stay because they are different because they break the normal pattern

So maybe instead of asking why Cherki did it the better question is why more players do not do it why football has become a place where creativity is questioned instead of celebrated why players feel safer passing backwards than trying something bold

Because at the end of the day football is entertainment it is not just about winning trophies it is about giving fans something to enjoy something to remember something to talk about and Cherki did exactly that

That is why many people believe Gary Neville was wrong not because he cannot have his opinion but because that opinion represents a mindset that might be limiting the game instead of helping it grow

Football needs balance it needs discipline and structure but it also needs freedom and creativity it needs players who follow instructions but also players who can break the rules when the moment feels right

And on that night at Wembley in the middle of a tense final Rayan Cherki gave a small reminder of what football can be when a player decides to express himself without fear and for a few seconds the game felt alive in a different way and maybe that is exactly what modern football needs more of not less