Manchester City have made an impressive start to the Enzo Maresca era, and the early signs suggest the club may have found the right manager to lead the team into its post-Pep Guardiola future.
Five matches into the 2026/27 campaign, City have won all five games. The latest victory was arguably the most impressive of the lot: a 1-0 Manchester derby win over Manchester United at Old Trafford despite playing with ten men for most of the match.
That result did more than deliver three points.
It offered an early glimpse of Maresca’s personality, tactical flexibility and ability to make his players believe.
The Italian was appointed to succeed Guardiola in June 2026 after Manchester City identified him as their preferred candidate. There was always going to be pressure on whoever followed Guardiola. But Maresca has quickly begun to demonstrate why City were so determined to bring him to the Etihad.
Maresca has started his City career perfectly
Winning five consecutive matches does not automatically guarantee long-term success.
However, the manner of those victories is particularly encouraging.
Maresca has not simply inherited Guardiola’s team and continued doing exactly the same thing. Instead, there are already signs of a new identity developing.
The players appear increasingly comfortable with his ideas. His tactical adjustments have been noticeable. Most importantly, City have shown resilience when matches have not gone according to plan.
That was particularly evident at Old Trafford.
Manchester City faced a major test when Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute. A Manchester derby is difficult enough with eleven players. Playing more than an hour with ten could easily have caused City’s structure and confidence to collapse.
Instead, Maresca remained calm.
His message to the players was simple: the game was more difficult for City, but it was also more difficult for Manchester United.
That belief eventually transferred from the dugout to the pitch.
The Manchester derby showed Maresca’s mentality
The most impressive aspect of the Old Trafford victory was arguably not the goal.
It was City’s mentality after Foden’s dismissal.
Maresca could have instructed his team to defend for the remainder of the match and settle for a point.
Instead, City continued looking for opportunities.
The manager’s belief that his side could still win was crucial.
That mentality is exactly what Manchester City supporters will want to see during the post-Guardiola era.
Guardiola built a winning culture at the club. One of Maresca’s biggest challenges is ensuring that culture survives while introducing his own methods.
The Old Trafford performance suggests he is making progress.
City did not panic.
They stayed compact, worked extremely hard and waited for the opportunity to hurt United.
Eventually, that opportunity arrived.
Maresca’s substitution changed the game
One of the clearest examples of Maresca’s tactical intelligence came at half-time.
Rayan Cherki was replaced by Iliman Ndiaye.
It was a bold decision because City needed an attacking outlet while playing with ten men.
Ndiaye provided exactly that.
The substitution helped City retain a threat going forward rather than becoming completely passive. Instead of simply trying to survive, City had an option capable of carrying the ball and stretching the United defence.
That decision eventually contributed to Erling Haaland’s winning goal.
It is only one substitution.
But these are the details that can define a manager.
The ability to recognise what a match needs and react quickly is one of the qualities City will have wanted when selecting Guardiola’s successor.
Maresca has already demonstrated it.
His tactical changes are becoming a major strength
The Manchester derby was not the first time Maresca’s tactical decisions made an impact.
His recent matches against FC Porto and Manchester United have both provided evidence that the new manager is comfortable changing his approach during games.
That adaptability could become one of the defining characteristics of this Manchester City side.
Under Guardiola, City were often associated with controlling matches through possession and positional structure.
Maresca’s City are showing that they can also adapt to difficult circumstances.
That does not mean possession football has disappeared.
Instead, Maresca appears to be developing a system that uses City’s existing strengths while giving players enough flexibility to respond to different opponents.
That could be extremely important over a long season.
The players have bought into Maresca’s ideas
A manager can have the best tactical plan in the world.
It means very little if the players do not believe in it.
So far, that does not appear to be a problem for Maresca.
City’s performances suggest the squad is responding positively to his methods.
The players are working for each other, showing discipline and accepting tactical changes during matches.
The reaction to Foden’s red card was perhaps the clearest evidence.
There was no visible collapse.
Instead, City became more determined.
That is a reflection of the manager as much as the players.
Maresca needed his squad to believe that winning with ten men was possible.
They did.
The Porto victory was another important sign
City’s Champions League victory over Porto also provided evidence of Maresca’s developing tactical identity.
The manager has shown a willingness to trust younger players while also giving experienced stars important responsibilities.
That balance will be crucial.
Manchester City have an ageing core that has achieved almost everything possible under Guardiola, while the club has also invested heavily in younger talent.
Maresca therefore has to manage two objectives simultaneously.
He must continue competing for major trophies while developing the next generation.
His early decisions suggest he understands that challenge.
Players such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Ryan McAidoo and Ili Ndiaye are among the younger names who have attracted attention under the new manager.
Giving emerging players meaningful opportunities could help ensure the squad remains competitive for years to come.
Maresca is building his own Manchester City
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is that Maresca is not trying to become Guardiola.
That would be impossible.
Guardiola’s legacy at Manchester City is enormous. His methods transformed the club and delivered an extraordinary period of success.
Maresca’s task is different.
He needs to create his own version of Manchester City.
The early evidence suggests he is doing exactly that.
There are familiar principles. City still want control, technical quality and intelligent positioning.
But there is also greater emphasis on adapting to the specific circumstances of a match.
That was obvious at Old Trafford.
City had to abandon some of their usual dominance after Foden’s red card. Maresca adjusted accordingly.
The result was a famous derby victory.
The biggest tests are still coming
It would be wrong to declare Maresca’s Manchester City project a finished product after five matches.
Football is rarely that simple.
There will be injuries.
There will be defeats.
There will be periods when players struggle to understand certain tactical ideas.
There will also be matches where Maresca’s decisions are questioned.
That is inevitable.
The real test will be how the manager responds when City lose.
A five-match winning run is an excellent foundation, but maintaining that level over an entire season is something completely different.
The Premier League will eventually expose weaknesses.
The Champions League will provide even greater pressure.
Maresca will have to prove that his tactical flexibility works against Europe’s best teams.
But the early evidence is extremely encouraging
For now, Manchester City supporters have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Five matches.
Five victories.
And now a Manchester derby triumph achieved with ten men.
That is an impressive beginning.
More importantly, City are showing signs of developing the characteristics their new manager wants from them.
They are adaptable.
They are resilient.
They believe they can win difficult matches.
And they appear to trust their manager.
Those qualities could prove invaluable as Maresca attempts to establish himself at the Etihad.
The post-Guardiola era was always going to be challenging. Replacing one of the greatest managers in football history is not a normal job.
But Maresca has made an excellent first impression.
His substitutions have worked.
His tactical adjustments have made a difference.
His players appear to believe in him.
And his team has won every match so far.
That is exactly why Manchester City were so eager to make Enzo Maresca their new head coach.
The Italian still has a long way to go before his legacy can be compared with Guardiola’s.
There is no need to make that comparison yet.
Maresca simply needs to build his own Manchester City.
Five matches into the new era, he has already given supporters a very good reason to believe that he can.
