Elliot Anderson set new records in his fourth appearance for Manchester City.
Elliot Anderson set new records in his fourth appearance for Manchester City.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Elliot Anderson completed more passes as an individual than the whole of the Coventry City team as he helped Manchester City to a 1-0 win over the Premier League newcomers. Anderson's 146 passes were the most by an English midfielder since records started to be taken for that statistic in 2003. Coventry completed 139.
Anderson caught the eye of pass counters, pundits and his boss Enzo Maresca as he seems to be settling in seamlessly at his new club following a £116 million transfer from Nottingham Forest in June.
Indeed, that claim was put to Maresca, who said: "Really impressed and not just about (his performance against Coventry). I think he was very good against Palace and also very good against Bournemouth - but the best thing about it is the day by day.
"He is asking how he can learn, we sit with him and do one-v-one video. We are doing many things with him. He wants to be better. This is the main thing for any player. (We look at) in the ball, off the ball, different kinds of things."
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Anderson had shown his class over two seasons at the City Ground, making 92 appearances. Now his ability to control the tempo is getting wider attention
Coventry manager Frank Lampard said: “I’ve admired him from afar. This is the first time I’ve seen him in the flesh. He’s very talented, very smart. I think he’s going to be a very good midfielder for City. I respect a high level player like that.”
Sky Sports referred to his "Rodri-like numbers", writing: "He touched the ball 178 times. Won 100 per cent of his six ground duels. Drew three fouls. Covered more distance than any other Man City player. The list goes on.
"In a game where Enzo Fernandez, on his debut, and free-scoring Erling Haaland drew the headlines, Anderson was equally eye-catching. He mopped up nearly every mess Man City got themselves into. 26 line-breaking passes and 21 passes into the final third gives an idea of just how punchy he was on the ball, too. His role is not simply to recycle possession but progress possession and he's doing it brilliantly."
The Manchester Evening News added: "The Rodri comparison is an easy one to make but he was everywhere he needed to be dictating play."
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