Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca believes the club is ahead of schedule following major summer changes after Pep Guardiola's decade of dominance. Maresca expressed satisfaction as City sit top of the Premier League despite significant squad changes.
Maresca leads Manchester City transition smoothly
Manchester City sit top of the Premier League table after eight matches under new manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian took charge following a trophy-laden decade under Pep Guardiola, navigating major squad departures including Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and Rodri.
City remain active on all fronts, reaching the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and securing two wins from three Champions League ties.
Maresca believes the club's rebuild is progressing faster than initially anticipated.
Maresca insists City are competing ahead of schedule
Speaking ahead of Saturday's fixture against Brighton, Maresca highlighted the speed of the team's adaptation. "I think we’re going in the right direction," Maresca affirmed.
"I said in the last press conference, after so many years to change manager and many players it takes time to compete again and in this moment we are competing."
"We changed many players and the manager but good thing about the club is we are competing in all the competitions and we know it takes time when you make this many changes but in this moment, we continue in the same way," he added.
Manager embraces Premier League unpredictability
Maresca acknowledged that competitive parity across the English top flight makes maintaining consistency a constant challenge.
The manager pointed to teams like Aston Villa, Newcastle, and third-placed Brighton as proof of the league's rising standards.
"Every season you can have one or two surprises that they are there and now the level is so similar that you can drop points against any team and win against any team," Maresca noted.
City aim to solidify summit position
Manchester City prepare to host high-flying Brighton at the Etihad Stadium in Saturday's 15:00 UK kick-off.
Maresca's side look to secure three points before turning attention to European duties against RB Leipzig.
City continue their campaign aiming to preserve momentum across all competitions.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
