Enzo Maresca still has a big Manchester City midfield puzzle to solve

Enzo Maresca, the Manchester City manager, still struggles to find the perfect midfield composition for his team. His current preferred trio consists of Elliot Anderson as the six, Enzo Fernandez playing alongside him as the ten, and Rayan Cherki positioned further advanced as the ten as well. However, this lineup proves to be overly exposed. A logical fix to this predicament could involve playing Ayyoub Bouaddi as the six, alongside Elliot Anderson, with Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, or Enzo Fernandez as the ten.

Maresca acknowledged the city's midfield situation during a recent interview and has apparently identified the backbone of his midfield. As of now, the rest of the midfield remains a work in progress. During their recent 1-0 defeat to Brighton, the City midfield featured Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson, and Enzo Fernandez. The unusual arrangement of this trio left many spectators astonished. Despite both Anderson and Bouaddi being capable No.6s, their midfield shape sparked intrigue.

Maresca shed light on his decisions behind the Brighton match. According to him, the rationale behind placing Anderson close to the central defender was to enhance transition and build-up play. This arrangement allowed both players to adapt according to the team's needs. "The idea was to have Elliot close to the central defender for different reasons: for the transition, for the build-up," Maresca stated.

The manager mentioned that the choice between players hinges on the game plan and the available options, such as Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, or Enzo Fernandez.

Ideally, Maresca believes that Bouaddi should operate as the six, thus establishing a solid foundation for the rest of the midfield. He explained that Elliot Anderson has demonstrated exceptional potential at City and has earned the right to be the core of Manchester City's midfield. Yet, Anderson's greatest asset is his versatility across the pitch.

However, when Anderson drifts out of possession, opponents can exploit this vulnerability and penetrate City's defense. This issue has persisted all season, prompting Maresca to consider a potential solution.

Bouaddi, with his exceptional skills as a number six, complements Anderson's strengths perfectly. By pairing them, Manchester City could gain the necessary stability in midfield. Furthermore, having Bouaddi alongside Anderson would allow Cherki, Foden, or Fernandez to operate more freely in the attacking third, leveraging their strengths.

With Enzo Maresca only having managed this squad for four months, it is understandable that he is still searching for the ideal midfield configuration. However, given the potential benefits of playing Bouaddi alongside Anderson, Maresca might want to adopt this strategy and build the remainder of City's lineup around it.