In this video
- When you are Manchester City the expectations are always higher, he says, but he refuses to place the team in February or March from here. Improving game after game is the measure, and then we see.
- Doku is not sure yet after the knock from the Community Shield final and needs waiting on; a teammate is probably back for the weekend. Slowly, slowly, he says, the group is filling out again.
- In City's own half he drops to manage the tempo; high up he must stay where he hurts teams. Maresca points to the last pass for the second goal against Bournemouth and the chances created with Haaland, and says Foden can do both jobs too.
- Raised from Haaland's own YouTube channel: no proper pre-season, club and country without a break. Maresca calls the tiredness real and says the answer is rest, a game or a week of it, because a tired player is only a risk of injury.
“He's a man now. He's a dad.”
- Porto's coach had pointed at City's summer spending as pressure before this game. Maresca hands the question back to him with one line: from his point of view, that squad is not a pressure but a privilege.
- The game will dictate the favourite, he says: Porto have won all five in the league and lost once in their last 14 or 15 European games. A very difficult place to come, and set pieces, he adds later, are now a game within the game.
Can Man City win the Champions League again? Enzo Maresca discusses Manchester City’s ambitions in Europe and explains why Rayan Cherki could become such an important part of the team this season.
In this Enzo Maresca press conference, the Manchester City manager breaks down Cherki’s tactical role, explaining when he wants the French midfielder to drop deeper to control the tempo and when he needs him higher up the pitch to create chances, assists and goals.
Maresca also discusses the expectations surrounding Man City in the Champions League, Erling Haaland’s physical and mental workload, Phil Foden’s creativity, and injury updates on Jeremy Doku and Nico O’Reilly.
The City boss also previews the challenge of facing FC Porto and insists Manchester City’s massive expectations should be viewed as a privilege rather than pressure.
Can Man City win the Champions League again, and could Rayan Cherki be one of the players who helps make it happen?
