What does the cryptic crossword clue "Encountered Oliver's friend in London suburban area (9)" mean?

The definition is "London suburban area". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). MET (synonym="”Encountered”") + ROLAND (synonym="”Oliver’s friend” – reference to the title character and his friend in The Song of Roland [wiki]") = METROLAND; definition: "London suburban area" The answer is METROLAND.

Encountered Oliver's friend in London suburban area (9)

Guardian Cryptic #28971 | 24 Across | 2023-01-19 flower

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