Enzo Maresca does not pay the bills at Manchester City but he is ecstatic that those who do spent £125m for him to be reunited with Enzo Fernández. The manager and the midfielder were together at Chelsea, forming a strong bond over a relatively short time, one the Italian knew could provide the final piece within his master plan.

The Argentinian was equally eager to work under Maresca once more and made it abundantly clear to his previous employers where he saw his future. Questions were immediately raised about the fee for the 25-year-old who had spent the summer winding up opponents on the way to losing the World Cup final against Spain. Some pondered his attitude and quality but Maresca was adamant he knew what he was doing and City agreed with a deadline-day move.

Prior to kick-off at Old Trafford, life had been relatively simple for Fernández in wins against Coventry and Porto. Though the victories were not smooth as City found themselves disjointed in the middle of the pitch and far too frequently overrun for Maresca’s liking. An occasion such as an away derby is too good of an opportunity to pass up for someone like Fernández who seems addicted to intensity.

Considering the potency of Bruno Fernandes as a No 10 and Kobbie Mainoo’s desire to show the man who has his place in the England team, Elliot Anderson, and a key instigator in his country’s World Cup exit what he is made of, it was always going to be a difficult day for City’s new midfield. This was not made any easier when Phil Foden made his mark on the game – and Fernandes’s midriff – midway through the first half.

Having a player fewer amid the volatility of facing your fiercest rivals away from home is a test of character, to say the least. Fernández embraced adversity and was effectively asked to perform the jobs of two men once Rayan Cherki was pushed out to the right, vacating the No 10 role during the reshuffle. Being used as a No 8 but also tasked with additional space in front to roam in when in possession to offer the support Erling Haaland was otherwise lacking.

If anyone wondered about Fernández’s mental fortitude, the remainder of his time on the pitch was proof of what he offers at City. The responsibility of being the brake and accelerator in the middle of the park empowered the player who Maresca sees as the senior member of the trio of summer midfield arrivals. He is the one Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi can look to for an example.

Anderson covered the most ground, well over half a kilometre more than the midfielders in red. By the time Fernández departed in the 82nd minute, replaced by Nico O’Reilly, he had skipped over 10.25km of turf, working out the same per minute as Anderson, according to Opta.

The starting pair are the modern mobile midfielders, with nigh-on superhuman fitness, which is a key part of why they were chased and signed for large fees to start the post-Rodri revolution. They knew their roles and carried them out until they could no more, as a jaded Fernández found out when his number went up, before taking the long trudge around the pitch, listening to a fair share of abuse. As Anderson said: “We had to run more, fight more, and to a man I thought we were brilliant.”

Not only did Fernández run a lot, he did so at speed, carrying out 10 sprints, twice as many as any other central midfielder as he endeavoured to get up and down the pitch at pace to help his team. Furthermore, he won the most duels, eight, one more than his partner in disruption, Anderson, and intercepted the ball more than anyone in the middle. This ensured that although United had more possession, they were unable to build as they wished in central areas, hounded by World Cup enemies now friends.

The City chant for Fernández is to the tune of the Cranberries’ Zombie, a description that cannot be given to the Argentinian. He does, however, get “in your head” with his irritating brand of endless running and winding up of opponents, summed up by getting pushed by Harry Maguire after trying to win a penalty. He may best be remembered as someone not interfering with play when well offside in the buildup to Haaland’s winner. If he knew what he was doing, there can be no greater example of a master of the dark arts than Fernández, but even in this form that would be a generous assumption.

While Maresca sprinted down the touchline at the full-time whistle, Fernández mustered his remaining energy to almost crawl back on to the pitch to join his teammates. A surge brought him down to the corner that housed his adoring fans, jumping up and down with glee as his name was sung back to him. It is days like this that create heroes and Fernández will feel like one.

City fans spent the final minutes goading those in red with chants. “We’ve only got 10 men”, although it was hard to tell.