Enzo Maresca has reassured Manchester City supporters that the controversy surrounding their derby win over Manchester United has not overshadowed an otherwise excellent performance at Old Trafford.
Enzo Fernandez starred at Old Trafford as Erling Haaland scored a controversial winner in last week's Manchester derby.
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The Citizens face Norwich City in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday, yet much of Maresca’s pre-match press conference on the upcoming fixture looked back on what occurred in the derby on Sunday.
Erling Haaland recorded his sixth goal in four games as Manchester was once again proven to be blue, while controversy unfolded around the goal, alongside an earlier red card for Phil Foden.
Victory for City meant that the Italian continued his remarkable start to life at the Etihad Stadium after succeeding Pep Guardiola, while guiding his newfound troupe to become the first visiting team to beat United at Old Trafford 10 times.
Maresca Brushes Off Derby Noise to Praise Man City Performance Ahead of Norwich Cup Tie
Speaking ahead of the home meeting with Norwich, Maresca reflected on the derby and whether the fallout has taken away from a performance that was otherwise largely favourable from a City standpoint.
“Yeah, from the outside probably yes, probably no. I don’t know. But from the inside, no way. We are very happy, very pleased. We know the effort from the players. We really appreciate the effort, the spirit, the players, the performance from the players.” Maresca said on Wednesday.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has handed an update on Jeremy Doku's fitness ahead of Thursday night's Carabao Cup third round tie against Norwich City.cityxtra.co.ukEnzo Maresca Press Conference: Jeremy Doku Injury Update Ahead of Carabao Cup Third Round Tie
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has handed an update on Jeremy Doku's fitness ahead of Thursday night's Carabao Cup third round tie against Norwich City.
The 46-year-old added: “And this is the most important thing. Again, from the outside, probably everyone is talking about Erling [Haaland’s] goal. But from the inside, we know that Erling’s goal has been just one detail of the game. But the entire game, I think, is a different picture.”
There is little argument against the fact that Maresca’s side were fortunate to win, not only because Haaland’s goal was eventually ruled an “error of judgement” shortly after the full-time whistle, but also due to Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo hitting the post on either side of half-time respectively.
Cup Rotation Set to Offer Minutes to Man City Academy Graduates and Newbies
There are a handful of positives to pick from the derby for City, but perhaps their biggest relief is that Maresca can finally rest some of the superstars in the squad ahead of a jam-packed winter schedule that includes fixtures against Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
The less demanding yet still vitally important Norwich test on Thursday presents Maresca with the chance to rest many of the important players, and while it is confirmed that a handful of academy players will take part, Maresca still needs time to weigh up whether he will rest Haaland, though it is generally expected.
“Erling is one of the players that played 90 minutes back-to-back, Porto and Man United. He’s not the only one. I think we have six or seven players that they played 90 [minutes]. And for some of them - I’m not saying for all of them - but for some of them probably we need some rest,” said Maresca.
With the stars resting comes the opportunity for other, less selected talents to showcase their ability and determination to contend for starting spots within Maresca’s setup.
Rayan Ait-Nouri, Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki and exciting Brazilian prospect Allan Elias are all predicted to make an appearance, whereas the big guns of Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias and £125 million man Fernandez could start from the bench.