- Published
Enzo Maresca enjoyed a flawless start as Manchester City manager, winning his first seven Premier League games in charge, but the honeymoon period is now over.
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period → publish → charge
Having lost at Aston Villa last weekend, City have now suffered back-to-back top-flight defeats after being beaten 1-0 at home by Brighton on Saturday.
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City → lose → Saturday
"A bit strange," Maresca said of the result.
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Maresca → say → result
We did enough to deserve something more but we have to move on and try to win games.
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we → do → games
"We created a good volume of offensive action.
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We → create → action
Sometimes you have to be more clinical and score but it's important that we create.
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we → have → ?
We did everything to be honest.
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We → do → everything
The Italian added: "The attitude was good, I have nothing to say about that or the performance.
"
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I → add → that
The players fought until the end and hopefully next time we are more lucky."
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we → fight → end
Maresca seemed to slot in seamlessly after taking on the impossible job of replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola, but now needs to find solutions to City's stuttering form.
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Maresca → seem → form
With chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano keeping a close eye on proceedings at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the City manager has issues to address across the pitch.
Defensive errors proving costly
City missed out on the title to Arsenal last season and are expected to be the closest challengers again.
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City → keep → Arsenal
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).
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they → remain → Sunday
City have conceded 10 goals in nine league games this term, double the amount that Mikel Arteta's men have let in.
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men → concede → that
Individual errors at the back are beginning to stack up - Marc Guehi, who was dropped for this game, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were culpable at Villa Park and Matheus Nunes was the guilty party against Brighton.
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Nunes → begin → Brighton
Maresca has been unequivocal about his number one saying it is "Donnarumma plus 10 [other players]" on the teamsheet but defensive frailties mean City have now kept only one clean sheet in their past eight games in all competitions.
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City → say → competitions
The result also saw City lose consecutive Premier League games for the first time in 14 months.
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City → see → months
"Why?" Maresca asked of the individual errors.
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Maresca → ask → errors
"Sometimes it happens.
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it → happen → ?
"Unfortunately it is happening for our players but I think it is part of the game, part of football, it happens many times against us.
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it → happen → us
"We need to analyse understand what we can do better and try to move on.
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we → need → what
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.
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midfield → reshape → Silva
The incomings included a joint-Premier League record fee of £125m for Enzo Fernandez, £116m on Elliot Anderson and £86m to make Ayyoub Bouaddi the most expensive teenager in the English top-flight history.
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Bouaddi → include → history
Maresca, though, seems to be still trying to find the best combination in the middle of the park.
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Maresca → seem → park
The ex-Chelsea boss usually starts with only two of those summer arrivals behind a number 10, but decided to go with all three and leave Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden on the bench.
"I expected a physical game," Maresca said of his midfield make-up.
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Maresca → start → up
"Analysing them, watching them, they are aggressive man-to-man.
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they → analyse → man
I watched the games they have played.
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they → watch → games
"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.
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I → think → Rayan
"In this moment it is like this and we need just to move on."
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we → need → this
Wayward in attack
Maresca also needs to look at why his side have not been clinical enough in attack in recent games.
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side → need → games
Though they have scored 20 goals in nine Premier League games this season, the Brighton fixture ended a run of 23 top-flight games in which City had managed to find the back of the net.
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City → score → net
The 21 shots fired on Saturday was the most efforts they have had on goal at home without scoring since 23 attempts against Tottenham in November 2024.
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they → fire → November
In the past two top-flight games, City have only scored one goal despite managing to create nine big chances.
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City → score → chances
Against the Seagulls, Erling Haaland was starved of any real service, while Iliman Ndiaye had an off day and missed the best of City's chances in each half.
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Ndiaye → starve → half
Maresca added: "I think also in this moment we are the second team in terms of scoring in the Premier League.
"
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we → add → League
That means we are scoring goals but in this moment we are conceding silly goals that we can avoid and hopefully we can avoid in the next game."
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we → mean → game
That comes at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, where they will be aiming to return to winning ways.
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they → come → ways
The Aporia
