Man City star Manuel Akanji says he’s happy to move into central midfield while City are in possession because Pep Guardiola trusts him to.
The Swiss defender stepped out of the back line and alongside Rodrigo while City had the ball in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday.
Akanji has performed in that role on occasion this season in the absence of John Stones, who executed the position superbly during the second half of our Treble winning campaign.
Having been composed on the ball since arriving in Manchester, the No.25 was a prime candidate for stepping into Stones’ shoes.
The 28-year-old admits he’s having to learn from the experienced midfielders around him.
“I’m watching what the other guys are doing in midfield because I’m playing them a lot of passes – it gets easier for me to relate now what position they are in,” he said.
“The manager trusts me to play in this position and I try to do my best. I felt comfortable today and we’ll see in the future where I play.
“I try to play easy and not take too many touches. As the game went on, I felt more confident and better.
“It’s different because when you play centre-back or full-back you have the full game in front of you, whereas in this role you need to know what’s around you.”
City looked to be taking all three points from the top-of-the-table clash when Erling Haaland put us ahead midway through the first half.
However, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s equaliser deep into the second half ensured the points would be shared.
Despite the dropped points, Akanji was pleased with the team’s showing on the whole.
“We had a good performance – we controlled the game,” he stated.
“We defended really well and created chances up front. There’s always room to improve – we conceded goal and didn’t keep a clean sheet, it’s something we need to work on.”
