Maresca wins Manchester derby as unbeaten City make perfect start

Replacing Pep Guardiola looked like one of football's impossible jobs when Enzo Maresca arrived at Manchester City this summer. Five matches into the new era, the Italian has made the transition seem remarkably smooth. Sunday's 1-0 win at Old Trafford, secured despite playing much of the derby with ten men after Phil Foden's red card, extended City's perfect start to four Premier League victories and one in the Champions League.

• City have won all five competitive games under Maresca this season.
• Erling Haaland scored the winner at Old Trafford as City held on with ten men.
• Maresca kept his composure and shifted Rayan Cherki to the right before replacing him at half-time.
• The manager has introduced loud house music in training to lift the mood of the squad.
• City host Norwich in the Carabao Cup on Thursday before facing Sunderland in the league.

A Manchester derby won with ten men

The result at Old Trafford was the most significant of Maresca's short tenure so far. Not just because of the opponent, but because of the circumstances: City protected a narrow lead for long spells after Foden's dismissal and held firm thanks to Haaland's decisive goal.

Maresca's game management drew on a painful lesson from a year earlier, when his Chelsea side lost at the same ground after Robert Sánchez was sent off after five minutes. That night he made two substitutions inside seven minutes and watched his team fade. This time he waited, assessed the match, moved Rayan Cherki to the right and replaced him with Iliman Ndiaye at the interval, a tactical adjustment that proved crucial.

Happy Haaland, happy life at City

Haaland once again delivered in a major fixture, and his manager was quick to acknowledge it. Asked about the striker's winner and his form this season, a smiling Maresca adapted a familiar saying: happy wife, happy life. At City, happy Erling means happy life.

That cheerful tone in press conferences stands in contrast to the image Guardiola often projected, when he looked reluctant to sit in the same chair. The former City boss regularly leapt and screamed around his technical area; Maresca tends to stand motionless with his arms folded, a calmness his players appear to have absorbed.

House music in training and continuity on the pitch

The most visible change in the day-to-day routine has been the introduction of loud house music to training sessions. Maresca described it as the «boom, boom, boom» type, with the aim of making players feel happier and work better.

There are obviously many things from training sessions to details about the way we press and defend that are Enzo's ideas.

Those are the words of new captain Ruben Dias, who admitted that City's fundamentals remain similar to the Guardiola era, but with fresh details in pressing and defensive organisation. Maresca, Dias said, has brought his own ideas without breaking the club's established identity.

Stepping out of Guardiola's shadow

Taking over from Guardiola invited the same comparisons that followed David Moyes when he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013. Moyes lasted just ten months. Maresca has eased those concerns with a fast start and has publicly played down the pressure of succeeding such a successful figure.

At his unveiling he referenced Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, noting that clubs often struggle after the departure of long-serving managers. Guardiola's parting advice was simple: be yourself. So far, Maresca has done exactly that, describing the role as both a challenge and a privilege.

What comes next for Manchester City

City began the campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield but have responded with five consecutive victories, including a Champions League win at Porto. In the Premier League they sit joint-top alongside Arsenal.

The defence of the Carabao Cup begins on Thursday at the Etihad Stadium against Norwich City, with kick-off at 19:30 BST. Three days later, Sunderland visit Manchester in the league. Two more wins would complete a near-perfect opening month for Maresca in one of the most demanding jobs in football.

Frequently asked questions about Maresca's start at Manchester City