Elliot Anderson has shown glimpses of why Manchester City were willing to spend big to sign him from Nottingham Forest in the first two matches he had played for the club. Anderson showed flashes of his quality in Manchester City’s FA Community Shield loss to Arsenal. Against Bournemouth last weekend, Anderson was arguably City’s best-performing player for the 63 minutes he was on the pitch. Last night, Elliot Anderson showed exactly why Manchester City were so eager to bring him to the club. Anderson was superb in midfield last night and helped his team leave Selhurst Park with a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Elliot Anderson was superb in midfield for Manchester City as he helped his team pick up an impressive 4-1 win.The strengths and what Elliot Anderson would bring to Manchester City were well-known. Across his time with Nottingham Forest and in his performances with England, Anderson showed that he is an all-action midfielder who excels on both sides of the ball. Anderson is a machine in a duel, and his ability to win possession is a key aspect of his game. In possession, Anderson has a wide array of passing and is a line-breaking midfielder with his passing and his dribbling.
Against Crystal Palace last night, Anderson showed all of these traits in his game. The England international bossed the midfield and helped drive his team forward in possession or win back possession when required. The brief statistics below, courtesy of Squawka, provide a glimpse of Elliot Anderson’s influence last night against Crystal Palace. You couple those with the eye test and Anderson was exceptional in midfield.
What stood out about Anderson’s performance was how much ground he covered both in and out of possession. He was everywhere for Manchester City at Selhurst Park. The England international helped break up Palace’s play with his ability to win duels throughout yesterday’s match. The biggest compliment you can give Anderson’s performance was that Crystal Palace had the majority of their best attacking moments when Anderson was bypassed in midfield.
With the ball at his feet, Anderson helped keep City’s possession play ticking away with his wide array of passing. He broke the lines with regularity and his ability in possession will be a weapon that Enzo Maresca will further harness in time. Also, Elliot Anderson wasn’t afraid to give his teammates direction with his instructions on the pitch. This was impossible to miss at times at Selhurst Park.
Manchester City’s new midfield engine revealed that is he beginning to feel more at home in his new team.Elliot Anderson showed exactly why Manchester City were prepared to break the bank to sign him against Crystal Palace last night. He looked a lot more comfortable in his role at Selhurst Park, which was impossible to ignore.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his team’s win, Anderson said that he was nervous ahead of his home debut for Manchester City against Bournemouth last Sunday. He also added that Enzo Maresca’s gameplan went exactly as planned. Anderson explained: “I felt more at home today. My first outing at the Etihad was special though I felt very nervous and two wins from two is great. Everyone is really happy and everyone gave their all. The game plan went just as we wanted.”
Manchester City had to pull out all of the stops to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. They had to make him the clubs most expensive signing to land him. City knew what they were getting when they signed Elliot Anderson. Last night against Crystal Palace the first glimpse of it arrived. Elliot Anderson put in a great performance in midfield and it is highly likely a display that Anderson will build upon
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