Manchester City’s perfect Premier League start has given Enzo Maresca an early afternoon to remember: a derby win at Old Trafford, achieved after Phil Foden’s early dismissal, and a reminder that the Italian intends to build his own City rather than live as Pep Guardiola’s understudy.
Why it landed this week
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Arsenal
- Phil Foden
- Erling Haaland
- Matheus Nunes
- Enzo Fernández
- Elliot Anderson
- Jérémy Doku
Maresca’s City are making their own noise
Maresca’s appointment was rooted in continuity. He had worked as Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022-23 treble campaign, and Hugo Viana’s football department saw him as a natural fit after a glittering decade at the Etihad.
Yet the new manager made clear in pre-season that continuity would not mean imitation. He said he did not believe in simply copying another coach, arguing that every manager brings something different. His task, he said, was to introduce new elements, put his own football on the pitch and work in his own manner, while maintaining his respect for Guardiola.
The Manchester derby provided the first sizeable evidence. City took all three points at Old Trafford despite Foden’s early red card, absorbed United’s stronger spell after the interval and found Haaland with one of the few opportunities he had. They then saw out the match with the composure of a side which had not misplaced its head along with its winger.
Maresca felt the sending-off altered the game for both teams. United are dangerous when they can break, he said, but City denied them those transition moments once reduced to 10 men. Tactics mattered, he added, though the players’ effort had been exceptional.
A summer of exits, then a costly repair job
The route to this start was not especially smooth. Rodri, Omar Marmoush, Nico González and Savinho were among the departures in a summer which brought record income from sales.
City had moved early for Elliot Anderson and also brought in Rulli before the Club World Cup, but their heavy Community Shield defeat by Arsenal sharpened the need for further work. Maresca said the club knew clearly what had to be done.
The response came late in the window and on a vast scale. Spending rose to 526 million as City added Enzo Fernández, Bouadi, Ndiaye and Allan. Maresca praised the owners for their commitment and pointed to City’s previous success in replacing major figures, first under Txiki Begiristain and now under Viana. Rebuilding elite squads, he noted, is rarely straightforward; now, he said, it was time to work.
Twelve from twelve, with Porto beaten too
So far, the work has produced a clean domestic ledger: four wins from four and 12 points from the opening Premier League fixtures. City have also beaten Porto in the Champions League.
The start matches those made by Roberto Mancini in 2011-12 and Manuel Pellegrini in 2015-16. Only Guardiola, who achieved it on three occasions, has done the same more often in City’s recent era.
The derby also suggested that Maresca is beginning to settle on the personnel around his preferred system. The starting shape is nominally a 4-2-3-1, though it becomes a 3-4-3 in possession, with a diamond forming through midfield.
The moving parts in Maresca’s XI
Matheus Nunes impressed against United after taking the right-sided defensive role from Khusanov, offering more thrust down that flank. Josko Gvardiol then completes the back three, while Foden has been allowed to drift in from a wide starting position to connect with Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Cherki.
That arrangement will require alteration. Foden’s straight red at Old Trafford brings a three-match suspension, stretching across either side of the season’s first international break. With Doku still unavailable, Maresca could turn to a more orthodox wing pairing of Ndiaye and Semenyo.
There are other options. Cherki could be moved out wide, with Bouadi entering midfield, while the profiles of the full-backs may also be adjusted. After an expensive summer, City have choices. The immediate test is whether Maresca can use them well enough to keep pace with Arsenal.
SEO Title: Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City find their stride after derby win
SEO Description: Manchester City have begun the Premier League season with four wins from four as Enzo Maresca shapes a new side after a major summer rebuild.
