Enzo Maresca kicked off his City tenure perfectly, winning his first seven league matches, but is the honeymoon ending?
After a loss at Aston Villa, City slipped to consecutive top‑flight defeats, falling 1-0 at home to Brighton on Saturday.
“A bit odd,” Maresca admitted. “It feels like the Villa game – we deserved more, yet we must move on and chase wins.”
“We generated plenty of chances. Sometimes you need sharper finishing, but creation remains key,” he added.
“Our effort was honest. Attitude was solid, no complaints there. The squad battled to the final whistle and luck should favor us next time,” he said.
Maresca settled in smoothly after succeeding Pep Guardiola, yet now he must halt City’s erratic form.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano watched closely at the Etihad on Saturday, leaving the manager with several issues to sort out.
City missed out on last season’s title to Arsenal and are tipped to be the main challengers again this campaign.
The Sky Blues sit atop goal difference, but Arsenal will overtake them if they avoid defeat at Liverpool on Sunday (kick‑off 16:30 GMT).
Defensively, City have allowed 10 goals in nine league games – double the tally of Arteta’s side.
Mistakes at the back are piling up – Marc Guehi (dropped) and Gianluigi Donnarumma erred at Villa, while Matheus Nunes was culpable against Brighton.
Maresca insists his starter is “Donnarumma plus 10,” yet defensive frailties have left City with just one clean sheet in their last eight outings across all competitions.
The Brighton loss also marked City’s first back‑to‑back league defeats in 14 months.
“Why?” Maresca queried about the errors. “Sometimes it happens.”
“Unfortunately it’s happening to our players, but it’s part of football. We see it against us often,” he observed.
“We must analyse our shortcomings and push forward,” he concluded.
Midfield muddle?
City reshaped their midfield for £327 million this summer after losing captain Bernardo Silva and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
Incoming talent featured a joint‑Premier League record £125 million for Enzo Fernandez, £116 million for Elliot Anderson and £86 million making Ayyoub Bouaddi the costliest teenager in English top‑flight history.
Nevertheless, Maresca still searches for the optimal midfield blend.
The former Chelsea boss typically starts with two of the new signings behind a No 10, but this time he fielded all three, benching Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden.
“I expected a physical battle,” Maresca said of his midfield. “Watching them, they are aggressive man‑to‑man.”
“Starting with three robust midfielders made sense, and I planned to refresh with Rayan, Allan and Phil in the final 20‑30 minutes,” he explained.
“That’s the situation now – we simply have to move on,” he added.
Maresca must also address City’s lack of cutting edge in recent attacks.
Although they have netted 20 goals in nine league games, the Brighton match ended a stretch of 23 top‑flight fixtures with a goal.
Their 21 shots on Saturday were the most at home without scoring since 23 attempts versus Tottenham in November 2024.
In the last two league games City have managed just one goal despite creating nine clear chances.
Against the Seagulls, Erling Haaland received scant service, while Iliman Ndiaye missed key opportunities in both halves.
In my view, Maresca needs to tighten the defense before the midfield can shine.
“We’re currently the second‑highest scoring side in the Premier League,” he noted, “but we’re also conceding avoidable goals that we must cut out.”
The next test arrives at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, where City will aim to bounce back.