By Enzo Maresca’s own admission, Manchester City "complicated" their 2-0 victory over Porto in Tuesday’s Champions League tie. The unevenness of their display prompted former England striker Alan Shearer, who was providing co‑commentary on Prime Video, to describe the side as "weak". City eventually secured the win, but they did not cement their lead until the final stages of the match.
Even so, they never appeared genuinely threatened with losing the advantage. From a statistical standpoint, Porto were reduced to a handful of half‑chances and failed to register a single shot on target. For a club that had not lost at the Estadio do Dragão at any point during the 2026 calendar year, the Portuguese side’s attacking output was almost nonexistent. The reason behind that defensive solidity was, as many analysts noted, the remarkable balance of City’s midfield.
The engine room of the team operated like a well‑oiled machine, denying the opposition any clear‑cut opportunities and keeping the ball moving with precision. It would be easy, however, to fall into the trap of measuring this performance against the classic Guardiola‑era displays, when the entire system revolved around Rodri’s positional discipline and the almost surgical passing patterns that defined Pep’s philosophy.
Those earlier matches were characterised by a seamless flow, each pass finding its exact target, leaving little room for criticism. Yet that particular brand of football appears to be evolving under Maresca’s guidance. Maresca has repeatedly stressed that there is no need to rush the implementation of his ideas. "Slowly, slowly," he told viewers on Tuesday, fully aware that many pundits expected a power shift in Manchester following Guardiola’s departure.
If anything, the new manager’s measured approach may prove to be a breath of fresh air for a squad accustomed to instant results. Beyond the headline‑grabbing 2-0 scoreline, the win in Portugal offers several deeper signals that City are still on an upward trajectory. Securing an away victory in Europe, especially while keeping a clean sheet, is never a trivial achievement.
It suggests that the team’s defensive structure and transitional play are solidifying, even as they experiment with new personnel. One individual performance that deserves special mention is that of teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
While Erling Haaland’s two‑goal haul inevitably attracted most of the post‑match analysis, Bouaddi’s contribution was arguably the more significant long‑term development for the club. After the game, Haaland himself praised the youngster, telling chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, "We have a gem there. He played an outstanding game and has been brilliant in training." Bouaddi arrived from Lille for a reported £86 million in the summer and immediately displayed a composure that belies his age.
He is not flamboyant or overconfident; instead, he exudes a calm, measured confidence that is rare for a player still in his teens. In his first start for City, he demonstrated a range of skills reminiscent of Rodri’s own style, from intelligent positioning to calm ball distribution under pressure. Maresca, speaking on Prime Video, praised Bouaddi’s poise: "He never panicked.
His performance was unbelievable." The youngster’s technical belief is evident in the subtle shimmies and feints he uses to change direction while in possession. He controls the tempo of his passes, and his teammates quickly learned to trust him with the ball even when pressed by opponents.
French winger Rayan Cherki, for instance, repeatedly used Bouaddi as a pivot throughout the match. Statistically, Bouaddi’s passing accuracy was astonishing – 98% against Porto – a figure that even surpasses Rodri’s 96% in Barcelona’s 5‑1 win over Feyenoord the following day.
While the sample size is tiny, it hints at a potential to match the Spaniard’s efficiency. Critics have previously labelled young midfielders as "baby Rodri," a tag that proved burdensome for Nico González when he wore the City shirt. Such comparisons can become self‑fulfilling prophecies, but Bouaddi seems to be handling the pressure with maturity. Rodri remains a unique talent, especially after his ACL injury in 2024 limited his ability to feature in three‑day‑a‑week rotations.
Nevertheless, City now possess a trio of promising midfielders – Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson, and Enzo Fernández – who together can shoulder the workload that once fell almost exclusively on the Spaniard. Anderson, who came off the bench against Porto, posted possession metrics that rivaled Rodri’s. This is no surprise, given his standout season with Nottingham Forest, where he outperformed the 30‑year‑old in several key indicators. Anderson now acts as the hinge of Maresca’s midfield, providing a blend of defensive solidity and forward thrust.
Adding Enzo Fernández to the mix brings a different dimension. The Argentine’s tenacity and vision make him a natural No 8, capable of linking defence and attack while also offering a goal threat that has been missing from City’s midfield since the departure of Ilkay Gündoğan.
Fernández can even drift into a more advanced No 10 role, echoing the creative responsibilities Gündoğan once held under Guardiola. Together, the three midfielders form a versatile unit. Bouaddi is primarily a defensive midfielder (No 6), while Anderson and Fernández are more inclined towards the box‑to‑box (No 8) profile. Yet all three possess the mobility to interchange positions, allowing Maresca to shift formations fluidly during a game.
This flexibility is a valuable asset in the Premier League, where tactical adaptability often decides tight contests. Financially, the club has invested roughly £326 million in this midfield overhaul. While such a sum guarantees a high level of individual talent, it does not automatically translate into instant cohesion.
Building chemistry takes time, but the early signs are promising. Anderson’s composure, Fernández’s dynamism, and Bouaddi’s technical poise appear to be meshing well within Maresca’s positional‑fluid system. The next major test will come at Old Trafford against Manchester United, a fixture that traditionally showcases intense midfield battles. Both clubs have restructured their central areas, and the outcome will likely hinge on which side can better exploit the new personnel.
Maresca is expected to start Anderson in a holding role, with Fernández positioned just ahead, while Bouaddi may either feature off the bench or be given a more specialized task depending on the flow of the game. In summary, Manchester City’s recent performances suggest that the club may no longer be dependent on Rodri as the singular fulcrum of their midfield. The emergence of Bouaddi, combined with the proven abilities of Anderson and Fernández, provides a blend of youth, experience, and tactical versatility that could sustain the team’s dominance both domestically and in Europe. While it is still early days for the teenage “gem,” his trajectory points toward becoming a complete midfield package capable of delivering every quality a top‑class side requires.
If City can continue to integrate these players effectively, the notion that Rodri is irreplaceable will become a relic of the past, and the club’s midfield could evolve into one of the most adaptable and potent units in modern football.