Manchester City’s £320million investment in rebuilding their midfield is facing growing scrutiny after a difficult run of results exposed problems with the team’s balance and defensive organisation.
The club twice broke its transfer record during the summer window as they sought to strengthen an area that had become a priority.
Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi arrived as part of an ambitious overhaul intended to bring greater energy, creativity and dynamism to the midfield.
The signings, completed weeks before the independent commission announced its guilty verdicts, were expected to usher in a new era for City’s engine room.
Anderson and Fernandez were brought in as established options to replace Rodri and Bernardo Silva, while Bouaddi, who was just 18 at the time, was signed as a promising young talent following his emergence at the World Cup.
However, Enzo Maresca’s side have struggled to find the right combination, with three consecutive Premier League defeats leaving the manager facing increasing questions about his midfield selection.
Anderson’s Responsibilities Raise Concerns
One of the biggest concerns surrounding City’s current setup is the amount of work being demanded from Anderson.
Reports emerging from the dressing room suggest the England international is effectively being expected to perform the responsibilities of both a defensive midfielder and a box-to-box player.
Although selected as the deepest midfielder in City’s three-man setup, Anderson is frequently instructed to move forward and support attacks.
The approach takes advantage of his versatility and ability to influence different areas of the pitch.
However, it also creates a problem when he moves away from his defensive position.
For the system to work, another midfielder must provide cover whenever Anderson advances.
That responsibility has not been adequately addressed, particularly with Fernandez frequently positioned too high and too wide to offer the necessary support.
The consequences were evident during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest, when City’s midfield was repeatedly exposed by counter-attacks.
Nottingham Forest Exploit City’s Midfield Weakness
Forest found considerable space through the middle of the pitch, with two of their goals coming from counter-attacking moves developed around the centre circle.
On both occasions, Anderson attempted to win possession but was beaten to the ball, leaving City vulnerable as Forest moved forward.
The defeats have highlighted a recurring problem for Maresca: his midfield can produce impressive attacking performances but struggles to maintain defensive stability when opponents exploit the spaces between the lines.
City’s 5-3 victory over Sunderland demonstrated the attacking entertainment their approach can provide.
However, the same structure becomes a significant weakness when the goals are harder to find.
Maresca has previously played down questions about his midfield, but the latest results have increased the pressure on him to address the imbalance.
Club analysts have reportedly reviewed footage with Anderson, examining how he can carry out his responsibilities more effectively within the team’s structure.
Nevertheless, his performances suggest that he is being asked to cover too much ground and fulfil too many responsibilities as the team’s only deep-lying midfielder.
Defensive Mistakes Expose Lack of Midfield Support
The defensive consequences of City’s midfield problems were also apparent in the build-up to Forest’s opening goal.
Josko Gvardiol lost possession after being pressured by Jair Cunha, who eventually scored, but the sequence also exposed the lack of available passing options for the defender.
Marc Guehi had played the ball into Gvardiol, who was positioned with his back to goal and immediately came under pressure.
At the time, Anderson was positioned higher up on the right, discussing an earlier passage of play with Abdukodir Khusanov. Rayan Cherki was also making his way back to provide support.
Fernandez, however, was nowhere near the situation, leaving Gvardiol without sufficient midfield assistance.
Forest capitalised on the situation, with three players closing down the City defender before Cunha dispossessed him and scored.
Although Gvardiol was responsible for losing possession, the incident demonstrated how City’s current positioning can leave defenders isolated when opponents press aggressively.
The defensive line is consequently exposed to more difficult situations, increasing the likelihood of individual errors.
Maresca rejected suggestions that City had a problem with their build-up play after the defeat, but the lack of midfield balance remains a concern.
Bouaddi and Cherki Present Selection Dilemmas
Maresca has already experimented with different midfield combinations in an attempt to resolve the problem.
Against Brighton, he selected Bouaddi alongside Anderson and Fernandez.
However, the adjustment came at the expense of City’s creativity, with the team struggling to produce enough attacking threat.
The match reinforced the importance of having either Cherki or Phil Foden available in the No 10 position.
Over the last two matches, Fernandez has also shown a greater willingness to move into dangerous attacking positions, particularly around the back post.
His late runs into the penalty area helped him score against Leipzig, demonstrating another dimension to his game.
However, the expectations surrounding the £125million signing remain considerable, and his performances have not yet consistently matched the fee paid for him.
Maresca Faces Difficult Decisions Over Fernandez
Bouaddi could become an increasingly important part of City’s midfield, with growing calls for the teenager to be given a more prominent role as a defensive midfielder.
However, there are doubts about whether he is physically ready to operate as the team’s sole holding midfielder in the Premier League.
A partnership with Anderson could offer a more suitable arrangement, allowing the two players to share defensive and attacking responsibilities.
Such a combination would, however, leave Maresca with another difficult decision concerning Fernandez.
The manager could move Fernandez into the No 10 position, potentially displacing Cherki, but that would require the Argentine to provide a significantly greater goal threat.
Alternatively, he could move Fernandez into a more conventional midfield role, giving Anderson greater freedom to perform effectively without carrying the entire defensive responsibility alone.
Fernandez made an impressive impression during his league debut at Old Trafford, but his subsequent performances have raised questions about how best to accommodate him in the team.
International Break Offers Maresca Time to Reassess
Maresca now has an important period to examine City’s recent performances and determine how to reorganise the midfield.
The manager is expected to study footage of the three consecutive defeats before the team returns from the international break.
City will host Fulham before travelling to face Arsenal, making the upcoming fixtures important tests of whether Maresca can resolve the team’s structural problems.
The manager will also have to make decisions about individual roles and the overall shape of his midfield.
Meanwhile, Manchester City defender Marc Guehi has withdrawn from the England squad because of a hip injury sustained during the defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Guehi was substituted at half-time and had been expected to join Thomas Tuchel’s squad in London on Monday.
Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has been called up as his replacement ahead of England’s Nations League matches against Croatia on Thursday and Spain on Sunday.
For Maresca, however, the immediate challenge remains finding a midfield combination capable of delivering both attacking quality and defensive stability.
City’s expensive summer rebuild has yet to produce the balance required, and the problems surrounding Anderson, Fernandez and Bouaddi will need to be addressed.
