Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has given his honest verdict on the club's early form under Enzo Maresca, admitting they look a little 'clunky' but backing his old club to compete for the Premier League title.
Enzo Fernandez's sublime start to life at Manchester City has epitomised the Blues' strong start to their Enzo Maresca era.
More Videos
Few pundits watch Manchester City through a closer lens than Joe Hart. The goalkeeper spent the best part of a decade at the Etihad Stadium, lifting two Premier League titles as a near-constant presence between the sticks, and he remains closely attuned to the club as they feel their way through the first season of the post-Pep Guardiola era.
In terms of results, City have made a fantastic start under Enzo Maresca. They have taken maximum points from the first four Premier League games, kicked off the UEFA Champions League campaign with victory against Porto and knocked Norwich City out of the Carabao Cup last week.
There have also been flashes of brilliance in the performances, but those have been mixed in with some less stellar showings as the squad gets its first taste of post-Guardiola City - and Hart was clear that the adjustment will take time.
Hart: Man City Are Starting to Find Themselves
Speaking on Sky Sports, Hart reiterated that City remain a work in progress, but said he sees clear signs of a side settling into its new identity.
“I like it, it's difficult, it's a little bit clunky - of course it is - but they're starting to find themselves,” Hart said. “You can only do that in the heat of the battle, and they're certainly not shying away.”
Manchester City fan-favourite Joe Hart believes the pressure on new manager Enzo Maresca will come from outside the building.cityxtra.co.ukThere's Always Going to Be External Pressure at Man City, Joe Hart Warns Enzo Maresca
Manchester City fan-favourite Joe Hart believes the pressure on new manager Enzo Maresca will come from outside the building.
Maresca inherited a squad in transition, stripped of several defining figures of the Guardiola years, and has had to implement his own principles on the move. That the wins have kept coming - especially in that bruising derby at Old Trafford - while the team is still hunting for its best rhythm is a reason for optimism.
I'll Always Back Them, Says Hart on Man City Title Challenge
Asked whether City can mount a genuine challenge for the Premier League crown this season, Hart did not hesitate for a second. “Why not? I'll always back them!” he said. “I'll always back them every single day of the week!”
It is a bullish stance but, coming from a man who knows exactly what it takes to win the Premier League without Guardiola, it is hardly baseless.
Manchester City went three points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League after beating Sunderland 5-3 on Sunday, with Antoine Semenyo scoring a brace. Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Enzo Fernandez also got in on the act.
Few would dismiss a squad with such a wealth of talent even amid a spell of upheaval. With the margins at the top likely to be fine once again, having a former title winner speak so confidently will do the fanbase no harm at all.
Should Maresca's men smooth out the rough edges while continuing to bank points, the faith shown by one of the club's title-winning heroes may prove entirely justified.
City have made it a perfect 15 points in the Premier League as they enter the first international break of the campaign, following which they are set to take on Liverpool at Anfield and Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.