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Elliot Anderson appeared to take a subtle dig at Manchester United on his first day as a Manchester City player, implying he has only ever witnessed one dominant club in Manchester.
Anderson briefly held the title of the most expensive player in Premier League history when City agreed to pay Nottingham Forest a club-record £116 million ($154.5 million) earlier this month. However, before the midfielder had even stepped through the door for his first photoshoot in sky blue, Chelsea eclipsed that figure with a £117 million ($155.8 million) deal for Morgan Rogers.
Nevertheless, Anderson faces considerable pressure to justify his hefty price tag, though he appears entirely comfortable with his decision. Manchester United had shown interest in the England international, but his clear preference for City — combined with Forest's steep demands — led the Red Devils to step away and turn their attention to Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans instead.
City leaned into the narrative that Anderson snubbed United in their favor, sharing an X post that mimicked a video game team selection screen. Their social media team did have to tweak the alphabet slightly to make it work, however.
Never in doubt 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/GI7Ud2ZT1L
Anderson Immediately Targets Manchester Derby
City boy 🏙️ pic.twitter.com/Y28kjraqHK
Anderson was born and raised in Newcastle and therefore has no prior connection to Manchester. Yet he has already singled out the derby against United as a fixture he is eagerly anticipating.
"It's one of the biggest derbies in the world, and for as long as I've followed Manchester [soccer], City have been the Kings of Manchester," he said during his official unveiling on Thursday, throwing some early shade across the city divide.
"It'll be a fantastic fixture, and I can't wait to be part of something like that."
Anderson was born in November 2002 and was just 10 years old when Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United manager in May 2013, having delivered his 11th Premier League title. It was at that point that the balance of power — which had been threatening to shift ever since the 2008 Abu Dhabi takeover — swung decisively toward the Etihad Stadium.
Over the past decade alone, City have been crowned English champions six times, while United have never finished higher than second (2017–18, 2020–21). Even across Anderson's entire lifetime, City have claimed the Premier League trophy on eight occasions compared to United's five.
So while United once had the upper hand over their closest geographic rivals, for players like Anderson — born in the 21st century — the landscape looks very different from what it once was. Questions may linger over how City's nouveau-riche success has been achieved, but the fact remains that they have been England's preeminent club for what is now a dynasty-defining stretch of time.
Anderson will face Manchester United for the first time in City colors on September 13 at Old Trafford.
Man City vs. Man Utd Is Never Predictable
Just three days after Anderson was born, City defeated United 3–1.
That result carried significance for two reasons. It was the final Manchester derby ever played at Maine Road before City relocated to the former Commonwealth Games stadium that would later be renamed the Etihad. It was also City's first win over United since 1989, having gone without a victory in any of their 16 meetings across the previous 13 years.
City endured a difficult spell throughout the 1990s, suffering two relegations before eventually securing their permanent return to Premier League football by 2002. Since then, derby encounters have rarely followed the script, with form frequently thrown out the window regardless of which club has held the upper hand in English football.
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Despite City having accumulated slightly more major silverware during Anderson's lifetime — 22 trophies to United's 17 — across 58 derby meetings, the head-to-head record stands at just 27 City wins to 22 United wins, with nine draws.
The most recent encounter between the two sides was expected to be a comfortable City victory in January 2026, with Michael Carrick taking the reins as interim manager for his first match in charge. Instead, United came out fighting and dismantled City in a memorable 2–0 win.