Enzo Maresca closing in on Pep Guardiola's 10-win Man City start

Enzo Maresca is just four victories away from matching Pep Guardiola's remarkable 10-game winning start at Manchester City, but the fate of his predecessor's first season offers a warning about reading too much into an early run.

City extended their winning sequence to six matches with Thursday night's emphatic 5-0 victory over Norwich City in the EFL Cup.

Maresca's side have also beaten Bournemouth, Coventry City, Crystal Palace and Manchester United in the Premier League, as well as Porto in the Champions League.

Across those six games, City have scored 15 goals and conceded only twice, while four consecutive clean sheets have added to the impression that the Italian's major rebuild is progressing quickly.

That leaves Maresca within striking distance of the start Guardiola made when he arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.

The Spaniard won his first 10 matches in all competitions.

For Maresca to match him, City must negotiate a sequence which includes two significant tests against Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

City first host Sunderland on Sunday before the September international break gives Maresca an extended period to work on his team's development.

They then travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on October 11, host PSG in the Champions League three days later and welcome Ipswich Town on October 17.

Win all four and Maresca would have reproduced one of the most impressive starts by a new Premier League manager.

The comparison is particularly striking because City have undergone considerable change since Guardiola left.

Maresca previously worked as part of Guardiola's staff during the treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, meaning he already understood the club's structure and working environment when he returned as head coach.

However, he has stressed that familiarity with the Etihad should not be confused with familiarity with the current squad.

"There are only three or four players from my last season here," Maresca explained.

Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ruben Dias are the only members of the starting XI from the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan still in City's current squad, with Rico Lewis having been among the substitutes that night.

Rodri, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Nathan Ake have since departed, while Maresca has had to incorporate another group of major signings.

Marc Guehi, Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi are among those brought in to reshape the team, while Allan marked his first City start by scoring against Norwich.

Maresca believes one reason for City's quick adaptation is that his players have already understood what he is demanding.

"The most important thing when you arrive at a new club is to see that the players understand what the manager wants," he said.

"Day after day, game after game, even with so many changes, I can see it is very clear to them what we want."

Matching Guardiola's sequence would be an impressive achievement, but City already know that an exceptional start guarantees nothing.

Guardiola's first season provides the perfect example.

City won their opening 10 matches in all competitions in 2016-17, a sequence which included six successive Premier League victories.

The run finally ended with a 3-3 Champions League draw away to Celtic.

Momentum then disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived.

City went five games without a victory during October and Guardiola ultimately finished his first campaign in England without a trophy.

His side ended the Premier League season in third place, exited the Champions League in the last 16 and were beaten in the FA Cup semi-finals.

It remains the obvious cautionary tale for Maresca.

His opening weeks have already demonstrated that City's transition may happen faster than many expected, particularly given the scale of the midfield rebuild he inherited.

Yet the next four matches should reveal more than the first six.

Sunderland represent City's final assignment before the international break, but Liverpool at Anfield and European champions PSG provide consecutive tests against opponents with the quality to expose weaknesses which may not yet have surfaced.

Maresca is planning to use the international period to rewatch every City match from the opening weeks of the season and identify areas which can still improve.

That in itself suggests he is unlikely to become distracted by comparisons with Guardiola.

Ten consecutive wins would place his start alongside his predecessor's.

City's own history, though, shows that the more important comparison will only be possible once the trophies are handed out. The derby win at Old Trafford already showed that this side can find a way to win even when circumstances turn against them.

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