Enzo Maresca says Manchester City have made a faster start to life after Pep Guardiola than he expected, with the club top of the Premier League after eight matches under their new manager.
City host Brighton on Saturday with the chance to maintain their position at the summit. Maresca has been in charge for four months after taking over from Guardiola, whose decade at the club brought six Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph.
The transition has involved significant changes to the squad, with Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri among the players to leave. City have nevertheless remained competitive in the Premier League, the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, where they have reached the quarter-finals.
Maresca said the team was adapting well despite the scale of the changes.
“I think we’re going in the right direction,” he said. “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.”
He added: “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.”
The Italian expects another difficult test against Brighton, who have made an impressive start to the season and are third in the table. They also took City to penalties in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting at the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca praised their approach both with and without the ball and warned that their attacking threat would make Saturday’s game demanding.
“They are doing very good, on and off the ball, they are very aggressive, man-to-man oriented, they attack very good with so many players. It’s going to be a tough game,” he said.
Brighton have scored 23 league goals this season, more than any other Premier League side.
Maresca also believes the strength of competition across the division makes it increasingly difficult for established clubs to dominate. Aston Villa and Newcastle are among the sides capable of challenging the traditional leading teams, with Brighton another example of the league’s changing balance.
“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,” he said.
“It’s more of a similar level. It’s very good for the Premier League, that’s why so many people probably love the Premier League because you never know.”
