By Eduard Bănulescu
Enzo Maresca is Pep Guardiola‘s rightful heir. This is what the Manchester City appointment means, correct? But what are, precisely, these tactics that are supposed to continue the club’s success and what could turn out to be a rocky period?
I’ve been writing tactical analysis articles for a decade now. Here’s what I think of Maresca’s tactics and methods and what I estimate that his partnership with City will add up to.
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Career Prior to Managing Manchester City
Yes, some believe Enzo Maresca’s ascent in global football happened overnight. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I have a massive amount of respect for the Italian’s work ethic.
Maresca was a dependable central midfielder. He was a capable passer and good in the air. IN a playing career that spanned nearly two decades, highlights include playing for Juventus, Fiorentina and Sevilla. That’s better than most.
As a manager, he earned the respect he had in the footballing industry. He was assistant manager for nearly five years before getting the opportunity to manage Parma, and then Leicester City. The relationships he fostered earned him a job with Chelsea. Here, while results weren’t wildly successful, his methods earned praise from pundits and supporters.
When Pep Guardiola (at this time of writing, still the most successful EPL manager of the modern era) abruptly quit Manchester City in 2026, Maresca was the only manager considered to be his replacement.
Tactical Philosophy
Look, what I know for sure is that it’s the finest details and the day-to-day work that make a manager great. If that weren’t the case, I’d be managing Manchester City remotely.
However, looking back at the basics of Maresca’s tactical philosophy, we see many similarities to Pep Guardiola and the Barcelona school of tactics, developed by Johan Cruyff.
Maresca always emphasises the importance of positional play and of having a clear strategy to counterattack the opponents’ attacking threat.
What does this mean? In a nutshell, it means building patiently from the back, retaining possession, and moving the defensive players around to always match the opponents when a counter-attack is launched.
Formations and Adaptability
I’ve said it before, but I believe all students of the Cruyff system essentially play in a 4-3-3. Their formations are just variations on that.
Yes, Manchester City’s current formation is a 4-2-3-1. The team plays with two pivots, one defensive, one attacking. However, when the attacking midfielder drops to receive the ball and the wingers tuck in to support the lone forward, the formation resembles a 4-3-3. Coincidentally, this is the formation Maresca often used at Leicester and Chelsea.
Manchester City in Defence
It’s worth noting the moment at which I am writing this article. Right now, Manchester City’s results are fantastic. However, City has also just been found guilty of financial irregularities and further repercussions are expected.
A large part of those fantastic results is due to Maresca’s defence. Notably, the defensive tactics have shifted slightly since Pep Guardiola’s time at the club.
What does that mean exactly?
The personnel for the four defenders is essentially the same. Rúben Dias and Marc Guehi star in the centre of the defence. Josko Gvardiol is back on the left flank, while Mattheus Nunes has been permanently moved to a wing-back position on the right.
City, at this moment, still allows itself to press aggressively. Out of possession, the players will prefer to go man-to-man and force the opposition to move the ball onto the flanks and, eventually, blast it upfield. Essentially, Maresca is looking to force teams into making mistakes.
This may not be the right time to mention this, but City’s really got it right in terms of recruitment. The team’s updated its midfield pivot, and the results have been great. Elliott Anderson in particular has been impressive. His 1.6 interceptions, on average, per game, and 2.6 tackles, along with his reading of the game, have proven an immediate solution to losing Rodri.
Maresca’s City in the Build-Up Phase
In regard to the build-up, Maresca is carrying on with Guardiola’s playing philosophy. The team builds from the back.
Maresca has given goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma more trust as a ball-playing keeper. He will start attacks with his first pass being to one of the three central defenders (one of the full-backs tucks inside).
Typically, attacking players will move into a front five attacking shape. Haaland, known for his power and ability to find space in between defenders, now often plays in between the opponents’ lines. This gives the opposition defenders an extra choice of whether to mark him or maintain their position.
While Enzo Fernández is not without his critics, and while it’s almost guaranteed that having him on your side will create some chaos further on, the Argentine midfielder has slotted in excellently in City’s starting line-up.
Fernandez has a 86.6% pass completion rate and averages one key pass per game. Anderson’s passing figures have been even greater.
This has left room for City’s skilful attacking midfielders, like Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, to flourish.
City’s Attacking Tactics
The good news for Maresca is that City’s squad contains some of the best attacking players in the Premier League. None of them is more high-profile than Erling Haaland.
Maresca’s goal has become to unlock the creative potential of City’s wide players. Indeed, most of the team’s attacking play occurs down the flanks. And most goal-scoring opportunities come through crosses.
Against Sunderland, for example, when City scored five times, most opportunities came from Nunes and Iliman Ndiaye pestering opponents on the flanks.
Haaland, interestingly, is also playing deeper than he has under Guardiola. His movement and tactical awareness have improved massively in recent years. That said, Haaland still averages a goal per game at the start of this EPL campaign.
What’s Next for Maresca and Manchester City?
From a football standpoint, things are looking good for the Enzo Maresca and Manchester City partnership. The club is in first place and the manager’s tactics have made an instant impact.
Of course, this will matter very little if the team is punished harshly by Premier League authorities.
While this punishment is likely to be some way off happening, it will certainly plant seeds of doubt within the minds of the City personnel.
Time will tell how Maresca and City respond to this newfound pressure.
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