How Manchester City Analysts are Using Elliot Anderson to Solve Enzo Fernandez Problem

How Manchester City Analysts are Using Elliot Anderson to Solve Enzo Fernandez Problem A lot is being demanded of Elliot Anderson just months into his Manchester City career. More Videos Anderson, 24, joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116 million in the summer and has started alongside Enzo Fernandez in Enzo Maresca's biggest games since arriving at the Etihad Stadium. City head into the international break having lost four of their last eight games in all competitions, with Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the City Ground following league losses to Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion . Fernandez arrived from Chelsea on deadline day for £125 million and while most Manchester City fans would argue the 25-year-old still is still adapting to life at the Etihad Stadium, he has scored crucial goals against Sunderland in the Premier League and in the 3-2 UEFA Champions League win at RB Leipzig  last week. Report: Anderson asked to cover two midfield roles at once As reported by Mail Sport's Jack Gaughan , word from inside the Manchester City dressing room is that Anderson is being tasked with performing the duties of both a defensive midfielder and a box-to-box midfielder whenever he is selected as the deepest player in the engine room. The England international is expected to push forward and join attacks high up the pitch from that holding position, but Mail Sport adds that the set-up depends on a teammate covering the space he vacates, and nobody is currently filling that role in Maresca's system. According to the report, Fernandez tends to take up positions that are too advanced and too wide to provide that protection, which leaves City exposed whenever they lose individual battles, as they did repeatedly at Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. Mail Sport also claims that the club's analysts have held sessions with Anderson to review video footage, showing him how to carry out the instructions in a way that benefits the wider team. Liam Delap's first goal at the City Ground came after a mix-up between Iliman Ndiaye and Anderson in the build-up, before the striker flicked the ball past Anderson and Matheus Nunes on the way to his second in the 73rd minute. Maresca criticised his side's intensity after the game, explaining that teams struggle when they fail to win duels and second balls, which links directly to the cover that Mail Sport says is missing behind Anderson. The Italian had said before the trip to Forest that Anderson is currently playing as a holding midfielder but could operate further forward in the future, adding that the pair had spoken about his understanding of the game before the Leipzig win. Manchester City also have Ayyoub Bouaddi, who joined from Lille for £86 million, and Mateo Kovacic among their options in central areas, with Maresca having said he picks his midfielders game by game depending on the plan. Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol both came off at half-time at the City Ground with physical problems, adding to the instability behind the midfield during a run in which City have conceded six goals in three league games. The three straight league defeats leave City six points behind leaders Arsenal , with Maresca having vowed to resolve the problems during the two-week international break.