Manchester City’s troubling three-match Premier League losing streak heading into the November international break has brought intense scrutiny upon manager Enzo Maresca’s tactical structure.

Following a humbling 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, tactical analysts and supporters alike are sounding the alarm over how Maresca’s rigid positional play is completely exposing summer marquee signing Elliot Anderson and compromising the team’s overall defensive stability.

At the heart of City's tactical imbalance is Maresca's insistence on asking the £116 million midfielder to effectively cover the workload of a two-man engine room.

While Anderson’s exceptional work rate, physical endurance, and duel-winning ability have made him a focal point in the central third, he is routinely left completely isolated.

With preferred midfield partners Rayan Cherki and Enzo Fernández pushed high up the pitch into attacking half-spaces, neither offers consistent defensive tracking or recovery runs when possession is turned over.

Compounding the problem is Maresca’s insistence on deploying two inverted full-backs—Abdukodir Khusanov and Joško Gvardiol—who push high into central corridors during build-up phases.

While the system looks dominant on paper when control is maintained, any turnover leaves City’s remaining central defenders and Anderson tasked with defending vast expanses of open grass against rapid opposition counter-attacks.

Against Nottingham Forest, this flaw proved catastrophic. Forest repeatedly bypassed City’s advanced lines with direct vertical passes, taking advantage of the massive void left between Anderson and his attacking midfield partners.

Rather than adjusting his setup to provide Anderson with defensive support—such as dropping Fernández deeper or starting natural holding midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi alongside him—Maresca persisted with his flawed setup, allowing the hosts to sweep aside a visibly fatigued City side.

With two weeks before domestic competition resumes, Maresca faces a major tactical dilemma. Anderson’s individual quality and tireless energy cannot continue to mask a system that leaves him overburdened and exposed.

Unless the Italian manager simplifies Anderson's responsibilities and re-establishes structural balance across the pitch, Manchester City’s mid-season slump risks spiraling into a defining crisis.

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https://www.football365.com/news/enzo-maresca-exposing-elliot-anderson-man-city-duff-tactics