Phil Foden has given City fans a glimpse of what he expects from the club's new-look engine room, and it sounds promising.

Speaking to the media yesterday, on the eve of today's friendly against the K-League All-Stars, Foden was asked about Elliot Anderson, the midfielder recruited from Nottingham Forest earlier in the summer. The response was revealing.

“I am really excited to have him at the club,” Foden said. “Whenever I have watched him or played with him, he’s a player that likes to find the No.10 and wrap balls through the lines. That suits me really well. I’m excited to play with him and can’t wait really.”

For a player who has spent the best part of a decade at the Etihad, that is about as close to a public endorsement as you get. Foden clearly sees something in Anderson, and the two have apparently already discussed how their games might mesh.

A Question of Balance

There is a logic to the pairing. When Foden was at his most effective last season, he operated in a midfield berth, stationed ahead of Nico Gonzalez and the departed Bernardo Silva. It was a role that allowed him to drift, to find pockets of space, and to arrive late in the box.

Anderson, by all accounts, is the type of player who can feed that movement. He is a tremendous passer, and his time in the Premier League has shown him to be an elite one at that, with the ability to carry the game forward. The sort of line-breaking passes he favours are precisely the ones Foden thrives on.

It is not difficult to see how that skillset might also benefit Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku, all of whom prefer to attack space rather than receive to feet. If Anderson can find them early and accurately, City could have a formidable supply line on their hands.

Of course, pre-season declarations are cheap. Every player is excited in July. But there is something a little more concrete here: a genuine, stated fit between what Anderson does and what Foden wants. Whether it translates into silverware for the FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders remains to be seen. The early signs, though, are encouraging.