Elliot Anderson will be key for Man City against RB Leipzig in Germany on Wednesday night.
There have been concerns in recent weeks over Maresca’s squad selection, particularly in the middle of the pitch, where the Italian has had the task of fitting Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Rayan Cherki into one system.
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Perhaps the biggest worry in some quarters is Maresca’s utilisation of Fernandez in the number 10, which has starved Cherki and Phil Foden of opportunities, despite both establishing fine form in recent weeks.
Partly to blame for the Brighton & Hove Albion loss, Maresca’s selection had faced little challenge during an eight-game winning run, but now that blemishes are showing in his otherwise perfect system, City supporters will want solutions.
Anderson himself has been an out-and-out number six for Manchester City since his £116 million move from Nottingham Forest in the summer, but Maresca hinted that he could be played slightly higher up the pitch in the future.
Speaking ahead of his side’s UEFA Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Wednesday, Maresca said: “I think at this moment, he is playing in the position that is best for him. But no doubt in the future, he can play as a number eight and arrive in the box because he has a good pass and can score goals.”
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Anderson has made 13 appearances this season for Manchester City and produced his first goal for the club in his side’s 5-1 win over AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League last time out.
The 23-year-old England international hasn’t contributed significantly to Maresca’s attacking transition, but has shown so many positives and perhaps been City’s best player so far this season.
Despite a tough three-game patch, which has failed to provide as many positive talking points as City fans would have liked, Wednesday evening offers the club a welcome chance to extend their strong UEFA Champions League record.
Having beaten FC Porto and AEK Athens, and finding hope in a strong second half against Paris Saint-Germain, City could find themselves climbing up the league phase table with a win at the Red Bull Arena.
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To the excitement of City supporters, Leipzig have failed to beat City in each of their last four meetings, which included a 7-0 win when Erling Haaland scored five goals – becoming the second player in history alongside Lionel Messi to net that many in a UEFA Champions League knockout match.
Most recently, Manchester City beat Leipzig 3-1 and 3-2 the season after winning the Treble, which marked Pep Guardiola’s reign as one of the greatest in managerial history.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
