Enzo Maresca, the manager of Manchester City, has addressed the contentious decision from the 2023 Manchester derby in light of another controversial VAR incident involving his team in their latest match against Manchester United.
Having been part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching team during City’s loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford three years prior, Maresca highlighted the goal scored by Bruno Fernandes, which was influenced by Marcus Rashford’s offside position. He remarked that City did not receive any form of apology regarding that decision.
Softfootball reports that Maresca’s remarks followed the recent debate over Erling Haaland’s decisive goal, which was initially ruled offside before VAR intervened to reverse the decision. Pro Ref later noted that the goal should not have counted due to Enzo Fernández being in an offside position and affecting the play.
Instead of focusing solely on officiating disputes, Maresca emphasized that such moments are part of the game; one team might gain from a decision on one occasion and be on the receiving end of a different call at another.
Maresca also pointed to the significant restructuring of the midfield as a key story for the current season. He believes Manchester City needs ample midfield depth to contend for the Premier League title, with major signings such as Enzo Fernández, Elliot Anderson, and Ayyoub Bouaddi following the exits of several veteran players.
The City manager has expressed appreciation for the new midfield talent, highlighting their capacity to make an impact both as starters and substitutes. The club’s recruitment strategy this summer aimed to enhance competition and versatility throughout the midfield area.
As the title race progresses, Maresca will be looking to his strengthened midfield to help City achieve consistency, all while he formulates his own approach post-Guardiola’s tenure.
