'They know exactly what you want': Man City's £185m duo make instant impact

Manchester City's £185million deadline-day double act had barely settled into their new surroundings before being thrown straight into Premier League action.

Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye both made their City debuts in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Coventry, giving manager Enzo Maresca an early glimpse of what his two blockbuster late additions can bring to his reshaped squad.

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Fernandez, signed from Chelsea for a British-record £125m, was initially named among the substitutes before Nico O'Reilly picked up a knock in the warm-up. The Argentine was rushed into the starting XI and wasted little time showing why City were prepared to spend so heavily.

Playing as a number eight, Fernandez was given freedom to drift forward and make late runs into the box. He touched the ball six times in the Coventry area, second only to Erling Haaland, and twice saw efforts blocked.

More importantly, he played a key part in City's winner.

Fernandez threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to Antoine Semenyo, whose deep cross found Haaland, with the Norwegian finishing for his third goal in as many league games.

It was an encouraging first outing for Fernandez, who already knows exactly what Maresca expects.

The pair worked together at Chelsea, winning the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup, before their paths reunited in Manchester.

“It is much more easier when a player you already share time together [with joins] because they know exactly what you want,” Maresca said.

“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.”

Ndiaye's introduction was less decisive but equally intriguing.

The £60m signing became the first Senegalese player to represent City and immediately offered a glimpse of the pace and dribbling that made him such an attractive addition. He attempted eight dribbles against Coventry, more than any other player on the pitch.

But with just two training sessions under his belt, Maresca admitted the winger still has plenty to learn about City's positional demands.

“He needs to understand how to move,” the City boss said. “Most of the time he was moving in the wrong way, wrong position, but he needs to learn and for sure he is going to learn.”

That learning curve is likely to be central to City's season.

Maresca has overseen a significant midfield rebuild following the departures of Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez, with 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi also coming on for Fernandez in the second half.

Bouaddi and academy graduate Ryan McAidoo also made their first appearances in front of the home supporters, giving Maresca further options as he attempts to mould a new-look side.

City were far from convincing against Coventry and needed a string of saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma to preserve their narrow advantage. But they left with three points and a 100 per cent record intact.

For Maresca, the performance of his deadline-day recruits may ultimately prove more significant than the scoreline.

Fernandez already looked comfortable in his new midfield role, while Ndiaye provided the kind of directness City will hope can unlock defences as he becomes more familiar with their system.

“I think there are many reasons I am happy about our win,” Maresca said. “I think they were all good.”