Manchester City gave £185m worth of talent signed on transfer deadline day their Premier League debuts in the 1-0 Premier League victory over Coventry and manager Enzo Maresca will have been quietly satisfied with what he saw from his new duo.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, brought in from Chelsea for £125m, was initially named as a substitute but was given a late call-up into the starting XI after Nico O’Reilly sustained a knock in the warm-up, while £60m Iliman Ndiaye also played from the off.
Both players have had limited time on the training ground with their new team-mates, but showcased early signs of what they will bring to the side and how competition for starting places has ramped up at Etihad Stadium.
Maresca knows Fernandez from his time in charge at Chelsea, with the pair winning the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup together, and he played a pivotal role in Erling Haaland’s winning goal.
Maresca said: “It is much more easier when a player you already share time together [joins] because they know exactly what you want.
“We know each other very well, I know how good he is and I know that he is going to help the team to win games.”