Enzo Maresca wins first four games as Manchester City manager, keeping Guardiola’s machine humming

Replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City is the kind of job that looks great on a résumé and terrible on a stress test. Enzo Maresca, four games into the gig, is making it look suspiciously easy.

The Italian has opened the 2026/27 Premier League season with four consecutive victories, guiding City past Bournemouth (2-1), Crystal Palace (4-1), Coventry City (1-0), and Manchester United (1-0). That last result came with City finishing on ten men after a red card, which is the managerial equivalent of acing an exam while someone hides your notes.

A £17 million homecoming

Maresca’s appointment on June 29, 2026, was less a leap of faith and more a reunion. This is technically his third stint at the Etihad. He coached City’s Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title during the 2020/21 season, then served as Guardiola’s assistant during the historic 2022/23 campaign that ended with the Treble.

To bring him back, City paid Chelsea approximately £17 million in compensation. Maresca had departed Stamford Bridge on January 1, 2026, midway through his tenure there. His contract runs three years, through the summer of 2029.

Before returning to Manchester, Maresca built a tidy managerial CV of his own. He led Leicester City to the Championship title in 2023/24, earning promotion back to the top flight. He then won the UEFA Conference League with Chelsea in 2025, giving him continental silverware to complement his domestic credentials.

The Guardiola shadow

Guardiola’s decade at the club produced 17 major trophies. Maresca’s familiarity with the club’s inner workings is his biggest asset here. He was in the room when the blueprint was being drawn.

What the numbers actually tell us

Four wins from four is the cleanest possible start, but the details underneath the headline deserve scrutiny. The 4-1 win over Crystal Palace was the only result that carried real breathing room. The other three were decided by a single goal, including the derby against Manchester United.

For Maresca, the Manchester United result is probably the most revealing. Going down to ten men in a derby and still collecting three points requires tactical composure from the manager and collective discipline from the players.

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