Enzo Maresca’s appointment as Manchester City manager was supposed to be a statement after the departure of Pep Guardiola at the end of last season. Instead, it began with a 3-0 Community Shield mauling at the hands of Arsenal on 16 August 2026, a result that has instantly sharpened the debate over whether he’s the right man to succeed Pep Guardiola.
City have had an easy run of fixtures so far, but the upcoming game against Liverpool will be a real test, and their chances are reflected in the Liverpool vs Man City betting markets.
A Harrowing Afternoon in Cardiff
City’s first competitive outing under their new head coach could barely have gone worse. Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after just 24 seconds, Kai Havertz doubled the lead before half-time, and captain Martin Odegaard added a third three minutes into the second half to complete a one-sided win for the Premier League champions.
Debutant signing Elliot Anderson struggled badly in midfield alongside the 32-year-old Mateo Kovacic, while Arsenal’s new arrivals, Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, dominated the game’s key moments. One bad afternoon doesn’t define a managerial reign, but it did little to settle nerves around the Etihad.
Why City Backed Him
Maresca is no stranger to the club, having managed City’s Elite Development Squad in 2020/21 and served on Guardiola’s staff during the 2022/23 Treble. Since leaving, he won the Championship with Leicester City and then, in his first season at Chelsea, delivered the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, beating Real Betis 4-1 and Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 respectively, a feat that made Chelsea the first club to hold all four major European trophies.
His football is built on the same positional-play principles Guardiola brought to City: patient possession, a goalkeeper heavily involved in build-up, and control through structure rather than pace. On paper, it’s the smoothest possible ideological handover.
The Complication: How He Left Chelsea
Less reassuring is the manner of his Chelsea exit. He departed mid-season, with Chelsea and City reportedly agreeing on a compensation package to release him early, following reports of friction behind the scenes.
Winning silverware while managing a fractured dressing room is one thing, but doing it at a club whose senior players have spent a decade winning everything is another challenge entirely.
An Awkward Squad to Inherit
City’s summer rebuild adds to the uncertainty. Out went Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid), John Stones (Inter Milan) and Nathan Ake (Fenerbahce), while the marquee incoming was Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a reported £116m.
Rodri’s future is also unsettled amid Barcelona interest, and Savinho is expected to join Tottenham. Erling Haaland remains the one guaranteed source of goals, and the early fixture list of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry City offers a gentle route back to form.
Betting Markets Are Already Skeptical
The market to bet on Premier League fixtures has noticed. Ahead of the season, City sit at 11/4 to win the Premier League, second favourites behind Arsenal at 6/4, having finished seven points off the top last season under Guardiola.
For a club that spent a decade as champions or closest challengers, City opening the campaign as outsiders says as much about the scale of transition as any single scoreline.
Verdict
Maresca’s methods are a natural stylistic fit for City, and his trophy record proves he can win. But a chastening Community Shield defeat, a messy Chelsea departure, and a squad still finding its shape mean this transition looks far bumpier than the one Guardiola inherited in 2016. Judge him in November, not August, but City fans should brace for growing pains first.