Maresca’s dream start turns into nightmare as title hopes hit

Enzo Maresca left the City Ground on Saturday evening with chants of “can we play you every week?” ringing in his ears – and the Italian’s dream start as Manchester City manager is rapidly turning into a nightmare.

Amid a sea of noise from the home faithful on the banks of the River Trent, the delirious Forest supporters witnessed their side produce a thrilling performance as City sunk to a third straight Premier League loss.

Maresca’s leaky backline continues to make defensive blunders and once Josko Gvardiol gave the ball away for Jair Cunha to open the scoring in the sixth minute, City were on the back foot.

With Arsenal edging past Hull earlier in the day and keeping another clean sheet, City head into the international break searching for answers after a 3-1 loss and six points behind the champions.

Maresca said: “The first half we didn’t match [Forest’s] intensity or win duels or second balls. The first thing required in these games is intensity.

“We tried to react at 2-0 but it’s too late. We scored one, probably could have scored more but in transition we concede one more. No panic. We need to understand but no panic.”

Asked why the intensity was low, Maresca replied: “I need to analyse that.”

The situation already looks bleak for City, but what does history show?

Should Brighton fail to beat Brentford on Sunday, Arsenal would be just the fourth side in Premier League history to have a six-point lead after 10 games, while only two teams have been so far behind as City at this stage and gone on to win the title.

One of those was Manchester United in 2002-03. The other? City themselves in 2013-14 under Manuel Pellegrini.

But Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton have the opportunity to leap up to second place and five points behind the Gunners should they beat Brentford.

There is another factor which looms large over City’s campaign.

The club have lodged an appeal after being found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules.

That process is ongoing – and it is not yet known what potential sanctions City could face.

But – even if any possible punishment does not affect this season – their title hopes are looking slimmer by the match.

‘City were exposed by Forest’

With his hands tucked inside his trouser pockets and his head bowed, a forlorn-looking Maresca paced the touchline towards the end of the match.

The City boss said during the week he was still getting to know his players, but performances like the one against Forest will provide some clarity as to who he can, and cannot, trust.

After starting the season with seven straight wins, City have hit real trouble with defeats against Aston Villa, Brighton and now a pumped-up Forest.

Their problems at the back are not helping as it was another game where individual errors cost them dearly – and former striker Liam Delap took full advantage of the lapses in concentration with two goals.

Gvardiol was at fault for the first, Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson got in a muddle for the second, while Matheus Nunes did not put a challenge in for the third.

“Before the game all the talk was about individual errors,” former Forest winger Steve Stone told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Apart from the first goal, this hasn’t been about that – the line is disjointed.

“The full-backs were very wide. If the ball turns over quickly and you pass it with your first pass you can be right through them. They have been exposed today.

“Oliver Glasner’s team have played through them every time.”

It was a miserable return to the City Ground for Anderson since his £116m move to City in the summer and the midfield dynamic alongside Enzo Fernandez does not seem to be working.

The Argentine should have scored with a headed chance from close range but spent much of the game complaining in referee Sam Barrott’s ear – City team-mates and supporters may be expecting more from their club record signing.

The former Chelsea player scored in the midweek Champions League win at RB Leipzig, but that is his only goal or assist in his past nine games.

Maresca needs to work out how to get the best out of Fernandez during the international break.

Stone added: “I came here tonight thinking City would win, I thought they had chances. This is a real hammer blow to them, there is something not right about the back four at the minute.

“I have never seen a City team give the ball away so much in the middle of the park.”

‘Big questions to ask the manager’

Rayan Cherki’s stunning strike gave City hope but they could not turn it around and the numbers following the result make for grim:

• City have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four in November-December 2024
• They have become the second team in English top-flight history – after Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05 – to win their first seven games of a season and then lose their next three
• This was their first league defeat by two or more goals against a side starting the day in the relegation zone since November 2008 (a 2-0 loss to Bolton Wanderers).

Maresca was forced to chop and change his defence again, withdrawing both Gvardiol and Marc Guehi at half-time because of injuries, according to the manager.

It meant Nunes came in at right-back, with Abdukodir Khusanov moving inside, and Nico O’Reilly playing down the left.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: “I thought City’s performance was poor in terms of mentality.

“To make so make so many mistakes when you go anywhere in the Premier League, but especially to a team who are fighting for the lives, and you know they’re going to come after you.

“They were sloppy with the ball, not winning duels. I would even probably go as far as saying there was probably a bit of arrogance at the start of the game from them.

“I think that there are now some big questions to ask the manager about how he gets them back on track. I think with the talent they have got, it is not going to be a big problem.

“But I think defensively, maybe sticking to the same backline for a little while is the way forward.”