Former Manchester City winger is yet to reach the heights of last season where he led the Saudi league with 13 assists

It’s been a difficult second season in Saudi Arabia for Riyad Mahrez. After moving from Manchester City to Al-Ahli in August 2023, the Algerian topped the assist charts in the Pro League with 13, as well as scoring 11 goals, helping his team to finish third, which for a newly promoted team was as good as could have been hoped for.

When this season kicked off in August, the remit was a title challenge and for the Greens to lift a trophy by the Red Sea. A few weeks in, neither is looking likely. A home defeat in the King’s Cup, the premier domestic tournament, to a team struggling at the bottom of the second tier was a genuine shock. Worse is the league form. Only seven points from the first six games means Al-Ahli are already 11 points off the pace. Matthias Jaissle, the manager, went into the international break with some trepidation.