Enzo Maresca’s unsuccessful debut and a 120-year-old negative record

Enzo Maresca’s tenure as Manchester City head coach began with a painful blow. The team suffered a heavy 3–0 defeat to Arsenal in the English Super Cup, the Community Shield. According to Goal.com, the result saw the coach equal a 120-year-old negative record in the club’s history and admit that the team must significantly improve its performance. Goal.com reports .

The match at Principality Stadium began disastrously for the Citizens. Just 23 seconds after kick-off, Riccardo Calafiori found the net and stunned Manchester City’s defence. The early goal completely changed the dynamic of the game in favour of the reigning English Premier League champions.

Defeat details and the negative record

Before half-time, Kai Havertz doubled the advantage. In the second half, Martin Ødegaard got his name on the scoresheet to secure Arsenal’s emphatic 3–0 victory. The defeat made Enzo Maresca the holder of a dubious record. He became one of the coaches in the club’s history to suffer its heaviest defeat in his very first competitive match.

According to the statistics, such an unsuccessful debut had last been recorded more than 100 years ago, in 1906, under Harry Newbould. Manchester City also lost to Arsenal in that match, going down 4–1. This repetition of history has raised concerns among the fans.

The coach’s views and the team’s problems

At the post-match press conference, Enzo Maresca openly admitted that the early goal conceded in the opening seconds decided the match. According to him, the players tried to level the score and had three or four good chances before the second goal, but they failed to take them.

According to data from FotMob, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were isolated by the opposition defence during the match and did not receive enough passes. Manchester City recorded 12 shots, five of them on target, but their expected-goals (xG) figure was just 0.8, highlighting their lack of attacking efficiency.

Maresca stressed that the season had only just begun and that the team still needed a great deal of work, even after matches it won. In his view, time and serious effort are required for every department of the team to perform at the required level.