Two pieces of the Manchester City midfield haven’t yet come together out of possession | OneFootball

Taking the 5-0 win over Norwich City in the third round of the Carabao Cup out of the equation, Enzo Maresca looks to have settled on his preferred Manchester City midfield. Across the majority of the six matches that City have played, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki have been City’s preferred midfield trio. Nico O’Reilly and Ayyoub Bouaddi have started in midfield against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and FC Porto. But once Cherki and Enzo Fernandez showed their attacking quality, they have started with Elliot Anderson. Looking at Cherki and Fernandez and their fit with Elliot Anderson, they can go up another gear, especially out of possession.

Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernandez, and Elliot Anderson are still learning on the job at Manchester City.

The majority of Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City side is still coming together. In attack, City look irrepressible at times. The way Maresca has set his side up is ideal for City’s attack to thrive. Defensively, City are still learning on the job and that stood out in City’s most recent 5-3 win over Sunderland. Also, Manchester City’s midfield is still learning to play together.

Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernandez, and Elliot Anderson have shone in possession as a midfield trio. Cherki and Enzo Fernandez are infinitely more dangerous with the ball at their feet. In my opinion, Cherki is the most technically gifted player in the Premier League. He is the ultimate game-breaker and can swing a match in an instant. Enzo Fernandez has looked comfortable helping City dictate the tempo of matches and his ability to get forward with his late runs from midfield and line-breaking passes is a more than solid addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.

Elliot Anderson typically plays as the number six in Manchester City’s midfield. He carries a heavy workload with where Cherki and Enzo Fernandez find themselves on the pitch when City lose possession. Also, the positioning of Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes in the full-back positions places an extra burden on Anderson. However, this has the potential to change and grow exponentially.

At times, Elliot Anderson is left fighting on his own out of possession but that should change.

Based on how aggressive Manchester City are in possession, when they lose the ball it does leave Elliot Anderson on an island, so to speak. He is often the lone midfielder left to fight the battle when teams break at Enzo Maresca’s side. Sunderland had success with this last Sunday. The room for improvement is clear to see, especially when Cherki and Enzo Fernandez further adjust to their roles.

Rayan Cherki and Enzo Fernandez will eventually learn where they are expected to be when City attack. It will take time for them to pick up the nuances of what Enzo Maresca expects them to do. Elliot Anderson is a midfield workhorse. With his energy and work rate, he can carry the load out of possession. But he will need support from Cherki and Enzo Fernandez. Once the pair adjust to where to position themselves out of possession, or pick their spots better so to speak, City should be a stronger unit in midfield.

Of course, Cherki and Enzo Fernandez’s strengths are in possession. However, the more they play, the better they will read situations and be able to provide support for Elliot Anderson. When this occurs, Manchester City will be a stronger team. Given that Enzo Maresca’s side has won seven consecutive games in all competitions to begin the 2026-27 season, that is a scary prospect for their rivals. But it is a tantalizing one to consider for Manchester City.