Lee Dixon lavished praise on to Manchester City centre-back Manuel Akanji despite his side losing to Arsenal on penalties.
Speaking on ITV, the well-known pundit gave his two cents on the 28-year-old’s display against Mikel Arteta’s side.
It’s fair to say that Lee Dixon was mightily impressed by how Manuel Akanji fared for Manchester City against Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Lee Dixon raves about Manuel Akanji as Manchester City get beaten by Arsenal in Community Shield
Back in June as well, the former Gunners defender sang the Swiss defender’s praises, while complimenting how much his game had elevated under Pep Guardiola.
Operating as a makeshift left-back on the day, the treble-winner’s marauding runs, defensive solidity and technical proficiency stood out once again.
Lee Dixon has said that he was taken aback by how well Manchester City colossus Manuel Akanji played against Arsenal on Sunday.
“Akanji is so strong. His recovery runs are absolutely brilliant”, he said.
It’s hard to disagree with Dixon, as the versatile defender continues to look like an immensely astute signing into his second season at the club.
Manuel Akanji is set to have yet another belter of a season
As Lee Dixon said, the Premier League winner showcased his excellence out of position, despite Manchester City cruelly tasting defeat to Arsenal on the day.
Considering how much Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate his side, who look set to compete on all fronts once again, the former Borussia Dortmund defender is likely to be a benefactor of this policy.
A fundamental reason behind this is due to how versatile Akanji is, as one witnessed in the previous campaign, playing in every position apart from left-sided centre-back and miraculously shining.
While names like Ruben Dias, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake and perhaps even Josko Gvardiol are considered as superior pure defenders to Manuel Akanji, his tactical flexibility guarantees him being a mainstay once again next season.
