How cheaper buys outshone £125m Enzo Fernandez on Manchester City bow

The previous time Enzo Fernandez had started a match, he exited in disgrace. A few weeks and £125m later , some Manchester City fans stood to applaud their most expensive debutant ever. From being sent off in the World Cup final to being parachuted in for an unexpected start, it has been an eventful few weeks for the Argentinian. Relatively speaking, this was the calm after the storm. The taunts from the Coventry fans as he was substituted are a sign of a growing notoriety, even if Fernandez was on his best behaviour as he turned in a performance that was more encouraging than astounding. Yet if City could thank one deadline-day signing for victory, it was not him but Gianluigi Donnarumma , who arrived at the end of the window last summer and who made three terrific saves. But for Fernandez, it may have been a taste of things to come. Opposition supporters booed him, Erling Haaland scored and City won at home to top the table. Many of the most eye-catching moments stemmed from the excellent Rayan Cherki , the outstanding outfield player on the pitch. But the eye was drawn to Fernandez. City’s plan was to give the British record signing a watching brief at the beginning, but then Nico O’Reilly suffered a back problem in the warm-up and he was summoned to start. And so he formed half of the costliest midfield double act in Premier League history. The £116m Elliot Anderson, stripped of his title as City’s record buy, operated deeper. Fernandez played as the No 8, with more licence to get forward and, though he had only played 25 minutes since the World Cup final, the sharpness to do so. He was prominent; after engineering his exit from Chelsea and some of his antics at the World Cup, City may have been relieved there was nothing controversial about Fernandez’s contribution. Briefly, it seemed he had an assist when he hooked the ball to Haaland for a tap-in, but the Argentinian was ruled offside. But Fernandez had a part in the winner, feeding Antoine Semenyo , who whipped in a cross. Haaland met it with a bullet header. Fernandez, the instigator of many a move, could get quite a few pre-assists at City, playing the pass before the pass before a goal. Rayan Cherki was the best player on the pitch (AP) For Enzo Maresca , also his manager at Chelsea, it was a seamless introduction. “An ideal start,” said the Italian. “It is much more easy with a player you already share time together because they know exactly what you want. We know each other very well and I know he is going to help the team win games.” That sense that Fernandez can slot straight in because he understands Maresca’s demands was amplified by the manager’s verdict on City’s other deadline-day arrival. Iliman Ndiaye made his bow after his £60m move from Everton. “Most of the time he was moving in the wrong way but he needs to learn,” said Maresca; it was not meant as a harsh appraisal, simply that the Senegalese has to spend more time in the final third and less dropping deep. It may have been a reason why City did not fully click in attack, despite their 100 percent record. “The good thing for me is that all of the wins have been different,” said Maresca. “I think first half we deserve more goals.” Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into several crucial saves (PA Wire) Cherki had come close to an opener, drilling a shot against the inside of the post. He was twice Haaland’s supplier when the Norwegian was denied by Carl Rushworth; superb for Coventry on loan last season, the goalkeeper looks a fine buy. When Cherki went off and Phil Foden came on, the substitute was denied by a goal-line clearance from Bobby Thomas. Meanwhile, Coventry could look back at four chances, two before Haaland scored, two after, and each a fine opportunity to get their first top-flight goal since Mustapha Hadji scored in 2001. Semenyo’s assist almost came for the visitors, accidentally sending Taiwo Awoniyi clear on goal with a misdirected pass; he was presumably relieved to see the Coventry striker shoot wide. Donnarumma then began his fine display by repelling Jack Rudoni’s header. As Coventry sought an equaliser, the Italian made terrific saves to deny the substitutes Loum Tchouna and Ellis Simms, the latter with his face. “Nine of 10 times of this kind of game you end up conceding but not all the wins are going to be nice wins,” rationalised Maresca. “We need some kind of these wins in ugly way.” Certainly Coventry would appreciate an ugly win. The fixture list conspired against the promoted club, with trips to Arsenal and City in their first three games, but their search for a first goal and point goes on. But, outclassed at the Emirates Stadium, they impressed at the Etihad. “Going to Arsenal felt very different, it felt our first game in the Premier League for 25 years,” said manager Frank Lampard. “This felt a competitive Premier League game. I thought we deserved something. Probably a draw is a fair result.”