Enzo Maresca faces immediate scrutiny at Manchester City after the team’s flawless start to the Premier League season hit a sudden wall. Following a defeat at Aston Villa last weekend, City suffered a 1-0 home loss to Brighton on Saturday, marking the club’s first consecutive top-flight defeats in 14 months. City missed out on the title to Arsenal last season and are expected to be the closest challengers again.
Maresca, who succeeded the legendary Pep Guardiola, described the latest result as “a bit strange.” He admitted the feeling mirrored the disappointment of the Aston Villa match, noting, “We did enough to deserve something more but we have to move on and try to win games.” Despite the setback, City remains at the top of the table on goal difference, though a victory for Arsenal against Liverpool on Sunday would see the Gunners overtake them. But now needs to find solutions to City’s stuttering form, maresca seemed to slot in seamlessly after taking on the seemingly impossible job of replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola. Maresca’s men remain top on goal difference but will be overtaken by the Gunners if they beat Liverpool on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 GMT). Maresca, though, seems to still be trying to find the best combination in the middle of the park.
Defensive instability has become a glaring concern for the manager. City has conceded 10 goals in nine league matches—double the tally of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal—and has managed only one clean sheet in their past eight fixtures across all competitions. Individual errors have plagued the backline, with Matheus Nunes proving costly against Brighton, just as Gianluigi Donnarumma and the sidelined Marc Guehi were at fault previously.
Maresca defended his first-choice goalkeeper, labeling him “Donnarumma plus 10” on the teamsheet, yet he acknowledged that “silly goals” are currently undermining their efforts. “Sometimes it happens,” the manager said regarding the recurring errors. “Unfortunately it is happening for our players but I think it is part of the game. We need to analyse what we can do better.”
Midfield composition remains another work in progress.
After a £327m summer overhaul—including the signings of Enzo Fernandez for £125m, Elliot Anderson for £116m, and teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi for £86m—Maresca is still seeking his ideal balance. For the Brighton clash, he opted for a physical trio in the center, benching Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden to counter the visitors’ aggressive, man-to-man pressing. “I think it was a good idea to start with three physical midfielders and I was also thinking about last 20-30 minutes to refresh with Rayan, Allan and Phil,” he explained. But decided to go with all three and leave Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden on the bench, the ex- Chelsea boss usually starts with only two of those summer arrivals behind a number 10.
The offensive side of the pitch is also showing signs of fatigue. Saturday’s defeat ended a 23-game scoring streak for City in the league. The hosts registered 21 shots without finding the net—their highest tally at home without scoring since a 23-attempt match against Tottenham in November 2024. In the last two games alone, City have created nine big chances but scored only once. City’s midfield was reshaped to the tune of £327m in the summer following the departures of captain Bernardo Silva and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
Erling Haaland, who had previously been prolific against the Seagulls, was largely isolated during the match. Meanwhile, Iliman Ndiaye missed significant opportunities in both halves. Maresca remains optimistic about his side’s offensive volume, asserting, “We created a good volume of offensive action. Sometimes you have to be more clinical and score but it’s important that we create.”
The manager maintains that player attitude remains exemplary, citing that the squad fought until the final whistle. As pressure mounts under the observation of chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano, Maresca is tasked with addressing these issues before the team travels to RB Leipzig for a Champions League fixture on Wednesday. The players fought until the end and hopefully next time we are more lucky.
