Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has earned praise from Manchester City's Elliot Anderson.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Elliot Anderson of Manchester City in action during the Premier League 2026/27 match between
Elliot Anderson won the midfield battle against Kobbie Mainoo (Image: Getty Images)
Elliot Anderson hailed Kobbie Mainoo as a "top player" following Manchester City's derby day triumph over Manchester United. City were reduced to 10 men when Phil Foden received a red card in the 23rd minute, yet still drew first blood when Erling Haaland controversially netted in the second half. Hours after the final whistle, Pro Ref acknowledged an "error of judgement" in allowing the goal to stand, admitting that an on-field review ought to have been recommended.
Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position, had interfered with play. But even with an advantage, United still struggled to fashion chances against the depleted City side, managing just 0.54 expected goals before stoppage time, when Bryan Mbeumo squandered a golden opportunity to grab a late equaliser. Mainoo's display was among the few bright spots from a United standpoint. The Stockport-born midfielder came agonisingly close to scoring, rattling the post from distance.
Mainoo registered more touches than any other United player, completed the most successful passes, made the most defensive contributions and created the most chances.
Anderson forged a close friendship with Mainoo during England's World Cup campaign over the summer. Although Mainoo did not feature for a single minute throughout the tournament, the pair developed a strong bond during England's training camp.
When Anderson was questioned about facing Mainoo, he commented: "It was great. It was a good battle. He's a top, top player, you know, and it's always tough playing against Kobbie, but yeah, he's a real good player and a real nice guy."
United had identified Anderson as their principal midfield acquisition for the summer window, though they declined to engage in a bidding contest with Manchester City, who ultimately secured his signature from Nottingham Forest for £116million.
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Elliot Anderson of Manchester City and Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United compete for the ball during the Premier League match b
Elliot Anderson and Kobbie Mainoo compete in midfield (Image: Getty Images)
The Red Devils had hoped to acquire Anderson for a reduced sum, but City acted swiftly to conclude negotiations with Forest for Anderson, who dubbed his new employers the "kings of Manchester" upon his transfer being confirmed.
United brought in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba to reconstruct their midfield during the window, investing a combined £155m.
Anderson added post-match: "We always knew it was going to be a tough game. What happened with Phil at the start wasn't good for us but we said at half-time it was going to make it feel better if we win and we took the three points.
"It just gave us more motivation to go on and get the points. It was really tough for us. We just had to run more and fight more. I thought we all shone to a man and we were brilliant."