Arne Slot's 2025-2026 season at Liverpool is a warning to any coach in the Premier League. Liverpool won all 5 opening matches, including a victory in the Merseyside derby. Therefore, evaluating a new coach after only a few matches is a matter of caution.
However, witnessing Man City playing at Old Trafford makes people wonder if this team is really energized after the change on the coaching bench or not.
Pep Guardiola ended his term with a successful season, with two titles and a Premier League runner-up position. Man City also started last season with a 3-0 victory over Man United. But then, they lost 2 out of 4 opening matches of the league.
Maresca is different. He won all 4 of his first Premier League matches and continued to defeat Porto 2-0 in the Champions League. More importantly, the players seem to quickly adapt to the new approach.
The 1-0 victory over Man United at Old Trafford is the clearest proof. Man City had to play with 10 men after Phil Foden received a red card, but still maintained the advantage and won 3 points. In terms of tactics, Maresca had an excellent match, especially with the decision to use Iliman Ndiaye.
Not only the players, the reaction of Man City's staff after the match was also impressive. The exciting celebrations showed that this victory brought special emotions, especially when they defeated Man United away from home in a situation of being understaffed.
Of course, that can be simply explained by the nature of a derby match. But the change in atmosphere is still worth mentioning. Guardiola is a talented but very strict and perfectionist coach. Maresca can also become strict, but he is still getting used to different personalities in the Man City dressing room.
More time will be needed to assess whether Maresca can successfully inherit Guardiola's decade-long legacy. In the end, he will still be judged by the number of titles he has won. But the initial signals are quite positive.
Maresca seems to want Man City to play stronger and more decisively. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez have caused a lot of difficulties for Man United's midfield, while Erling Haaland continues to be the mainstay in attack.
Guardiola is a genius and Man City's successes in the past decade bear his mark. However, the players who remain at Etihad also have the motivation to prove that the team's success does not only depend on one person.
It may just be a momentary emotion after a derby, but the frenzied celebration at Old Trafford shows that Maresca's Man City has another source of energy.
