City boss reflects on Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, plays down the impact of missing stars, and urges for swift reinforcements.
Manager Enzo Maresca admitted Manchester City must sharpen up following their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield. The Italian pointed to the opening goal as the pivotal moment at Wembley. “I think a significant part of the game hinged on that first goal we conceded. Our reaction afterwards was good, and we created three or four clear chances to level before they got their second. Once that went in, it became a much tougher task,” he told reporters.
Maresca also rued the lack of intensity in the build-up to the Gunners’ second and suggested that physical condition may have played a role in the performance. “I was far from happy with the first goal we conceded. For the second, there was simply no pressure on the ball. I don’t know if that was down to fitness; we are probably the club with the most players coming back from the World Cup,” he noted.
Addressing the absence of Rodri, who is yet to feature following his post-World Cup break, Maresca refused to use the midfielder’s unavailability as an excuse for the result. “Rodri is a player who has just won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or. Every team needs a player like Rodri, so it isn’t a question of whether we missed him or not,” he argued. The manager also offered praise for the efforts of Elliot Anderson and Mateo Kovacic, while demanding more focus from those who took to the pitch.
Maresca also touched upon the potential arrival of Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, revealing his desire to see new faces integrated into the squad sooner rather than later. “He is still a Lille player, but with any new signing, the earlier they arrive, the better. We kick off the Premier League in a week. If they can start working with us as quickly as possible, it will be better for their understanding of how we want to play,” he concluded.