The Swiss international has played right across the backline since moving to the Etihad as well as alongside Rodrigo in a more advanced role.
Our Champions League final winner against Inter began when Akanji stepped forward into midfield with the ball and ahead of the Premier League clash with Brentford, he said he believes he is improving at playing the position.
“I am enjoying it,” he said. “Sometimes I prefer to play in the defence, sometimes in midfield, sometimes as a full-back. It depends on how the game goes.
“I think what I have to focus most on when I play in midfield is to check my surroundings with what is happening behind me.
“I like to play there and I can also use my physicality to put my body in between and try to maybe go in front. I am trying to do better and improve game by game and every training session.”
City have the chance to move second in the Premier League with a victory over the Bees for the second time this month.
Phil Foden’s hat-trick secured a 3-1 win in the away fixture after we had gone behind, and Akanji says City have to play the same way against a team that was the last leave the Etihad with all three points in November 2022.
“I think the game that we had against them three weeks ago was really good,” he added.
“Even though we conceded the goal first, I think we created a lot of chances and that is not always the easiest, playing against an opponent with five at the back.
“We did really well there and I think we just need to make sure we don’t concede the first goal again and we need to create enough chances so we can score the first goal and put some pressure on them.”
The title race is seemingly becoming a very tight three-horse race between Liverpool, City and Arsenal.
With games against our closest rivals still to come, the 28-year-old is expecting plenty of twists and turns before the winners are crowned.
“I don’t think now is going to be the deciding moment,” Akanji said.
“Obviously, we would have loved to have won the game at the weekend, but I think if we win this game then we will be one point behind Liverpool and we still need to play against them, against Arsenal, against Aston Villa.
“There are a lot of crucial games that we need to win and we need to show up for these games. We need to be ready for these games.
“We go game by game. We can’t influence what happens in other games. We just need to focus on us and the next game is Brentford. That is where our focus is on and to try and get the three points in this game.”
