A first glimpse of Enzo Fernandez in a City shirt arrived sooner than expected
There was a plan for yesterday's visit of Coventry City, and it did not involve the club's record signing. Nico O'Reilly was supposed to start in midfield at the Etihad, only for a minor back problem in the warm-up to scupper that idea. The England international was withdrawn, and Enzo Fernandez found himself thrust into his first start rather earlier than anyone anticipated.
It was hardly an ideal preparation. Fernandez had barely trained with his new teammates and had seen little football at Chelsea this season before the move. Yet by the time he made way in the 76th minute, replaced by Ayyoub Bouaddi, he had offered a compelling answer to the question of how he fits into Enzo Maresca's midfield.
Player Ratings v Coventry City
Season averagesStationed on the right of the engine room, Fernandez looked comfortable from the off. His composure on the ball was the standout feature, with SofaScore crediting him with 71 successful passes from 78 attempts. He was not merely keeping things tidy, though. Twice in the first half he saw shots blocked, and had Coventry's defending been less desperate he might have had a goal, with several inviting crosses finding their way towards him.
The most significant contribution arrived early. It was Fernandez who slipped Antoine Semenyo in down the right, and the winger's delivery set up Erling Haaland's header in the 26th minute. The goal proved decisive in a 1-0 win.
Around him, the midfield shape offered plenty of encouragement. Elliot Anderson operated nominally as the number six. Rayan Cherki took the number ten berth and, as is his habit, drifted all over the pitch. From left-back, Josko Gvardiol pushed into midfield to offer a threat not dissimilar to Fernandez's own.
One performance does not make a midfield revolution, and Fernandez will need time to build sharpness after such a limited build-up. But for a player signed amid questions over his fitness and readiness, this was a promising first impression. The sight of him pulling strings on the right of midfield, linking with Semenyo and feeding Haaland, suggests City's record outlay may yet look very sensible indeed.