Why Elliot Anderson Possesses the Rare Vision to Succeed Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City

Why Elliot Anderson Possesses the Rare Vision to Succeed Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City Elliot Anderson was at his Kevin De Bruyne-esque best against RB Leipzig in midweek! More Videos First, it was Yaya Touré, one of the most captivating players to watch through the years, and David Silva, who has a statue placed outside the Etihad Stadium; then it was Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, the latter still only player in City's history to win the Ballon d’Or. Even the less striking but still undeniably talented and influential names of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, and Fernandinho bring back memories of recent midfield dominance. And the list goes on. Few words can describe the real impact that those players have had on football today and on City as a club, but there is a serious case that they have had the greatest midfielders in modern history - except for Pep Guardiola’s 2010 Barcelona squad that featured Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets, of course. Rodri’s success at City - highlighted by the iconic Treble that was capped off by his winner against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final in 2023 - has bled into a new lease of life at Barcelona, where he starts regularly alongside two of the world’s best players, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. For Manchester City to maintain that silverware-winning standard requires continuous evolution, which has been established through Enzo Maresca and Hugo Viana’s huge overhaul in midfield this past summer, suggesting City’s central legacy remains securely intact. City spent £327 million on Elliot Anderson (£116 million), Enzo Fernandez (£125 million) and Ayyoub Bouaddi (£86 million). During the club’s 3-2 win against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, it was hard not to see De Bruyne, who made 422 appearances for the club over a decade, when Anderson paced through the middle before supplying Erling Haaland at the back post with a simple, low cross for the winner . Even his stride looks mirrored in contrast. The similarities run much deeper than mere running style, exposing a striking alignment in how both players see and manipulate the pitch. Anderson operates with like-minded spatial awareness to De Bruyne in the centre of the pitch while displaying a rare calmness to absorb pressure and draw defenders in before bursting into space or playing the iconic long ball that reaches his wide players. Additionally, the man who turned 24 on Friday has a strong vision that sees passes others dare not attempt - which just about sums up De Bruyne’s stay in east Manchester, where he’d dissect defences week-in, week-out to feed runners such as Haaland and Jeremy Doku. Perhaps the greatest thing about Anderson, who has played primarily as a No.6 under Maresca so far alongside Fernandez, Bouaddi and even Mateo Kovacic, is his aggressive nature and ability to drive at opponents unremittingly. An invaluable component of De Bruyne’s skillset when at the club was his versatility, too, and that is exactly what Maresca has at his disposal in the England international, who joined City on a five-year deal from Nottingham Forest in the summer. What has been impressive about Anderson is how his career has grown organically, steering clear of those massive, sudden leaps that ended up stalling players like Kalvin Phillips and, to throw it back a bit, Wilfred Bony. You see, Anderson will likely start when Manchester City face Forest on Saturday - his first game back at the City Ground since leaving the club following a successful FIFA World Cup campaign with Thomas Tuchel and England. But a certainty is that he will attract a virtuous and heartwarming reception, rather than a contrasting and noxious one, given the success he helped re-establish in the East Midlands. “With Elliot, first of all, he is an amazing talent for such a young player,” Nuno Espírito Santo, the Forest manager at the time, told Sky Sports News  in November 2024. “He is competitive and wants to improve. He knows he is good but wants to be better. We are delighted to have him.” While Anderson grew up in Newcastle United ’s academy and earned firm fan-favourite status over 55 senior appearances under then-manager Eddie Howe, his two-year stint at Forest elevated his career to entirely new heights. It was at the City Ground where his game truly matured, swelling his stature into one of the league’s most commanding midfielders. During the 2024-25 season, Anderson helped lead Forest to a seventh-place Premier League finish, subsequently earning European qualification for the first time in 30 years, since 1994-95 under manager Frank Clark. As Anderson returns to the City Ground, his rapid evolution from a powerhouse at Forest to City’s dynamic engine signals the dawn of an elite era under Maresca, and there is little doubt that the club will go on to win even more silverware despite missing a huge piece of the puzzle in Guardiola. The Catalan won 20 major trophies during his decade in charge of the club and redefined English football with his intricate style of play that yielded six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups and three FA Cup triumphs. Of course, some of those could be erased from the history books due to Manchester City 's ongoing legal dispute with the Premier League, and will be dependent on the outcome of their appeal to being found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them. But if the original verdict is upheld by the new, three-person independent commission, City could see themselves relegated from the Premier League, stripped of any honours won throughout the nine-year period of 2009-18, and handed a lengthy transfer ban or substantial fine. Regardless of off-pitch verdicts, Anderson represents City’s future and his talent and tactical intellect ensure the club’s central dominance remains unbroken, even amidst critical turmoil. He has carried the torch under Maresca so far, but can he truly forge a legacy that rivals De Bruyne’s?