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Maresca opens up after Manchester City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal
17th August, 2026 09:10 AM
Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca expressed disappointment after his side suffered a 3–0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Principality Stadium.
Speaking after the match, City’s new manager stressed that conceding an early goal severely impacted the overall outcome of his debut competitive fixture in charge.
“Conceding after just 25 seconds affected the game, and I was very disappointed about it. In games like this, the margins between the two teams are extremely small. So when you concede an early goal, the task becomes much more difficult,” Maresca said.
City’s response
The Italian coach praised his team’s reaction to falling behind, noting that City created several opportunities to draw level before Arsenal struck a second time to seize control.
“I think our reaction after the first goal was very good,” Maresca noted. “Before the second goal, we had three or four chances to score and equalize, but unfortunately, we conceded again. After the first goal, I was quite pleased with what we were doing because we were creating chances and not allowing them many opportunities. But conceding the second goal changed things and made the task more difficult.”
Transfer approach
Quizzed on whether the loss alters the club’s transfer plans ahead of the deadline, Maresca dismissed the notion that a single result would dictate their strategy:
“We knew already before the game the things we needed to do. It is not because we lost—even if we were winning, we are clear on how we will approach our transfers, and for sure we will be doing something,” he added.
Maresca’s remarks come as midfielder Rodri completed a permanent transfer to Barcelona, leaving a major vacancy in the midfield. City had been linked with Enzo Fernández as a replacement, though they did not act before Chelsea’s Friday deadline.
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Despite the setback, Maresca emphasised the necessity of learning from the mistakes and swiftly shifting focus to their upcoming league schedule.
“There are some things we need to correct, but this is only the beginning of the season,” Maresca stated. “From next Sunday, we start the Premier League, so our full focus has to be on that. There are many things we need to work on. Even when we win games, there are always areas that need to be developed and improved.”
Manchester City will begin their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth, aiming for a quick bounce-back following their defeat in the season’s traditional curtain-raiser.
