Nottingham Forest 3-1 Man City: Enzo Maresca’s dream start turns into nightmare
With his hands tucked inside his trouser pockets and his head bowed, a forlorn-looking Maresca paced the touchline towards the end of the match.
The City boss said during the week he was still getting to know his players, but performances like the one against Forest will provide some clarity as to who he can, and cannot, trust.
After starting the season with seven straight wins, City have hit real trouble with defeats against Aston Villa, Brighton and now a pumped-up Forest.
Their problems at the back are not helping as it was another game where individual errors cost them dearly – and former striker Liam Delap took full advantage of the lapses in concentration with two goals.
Gvardiol was at fault for the first, Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson got in a muddle for the second, while Matheus Nunes did not put a challenge in for the third.
“Before the game all the talk was about individual errors,” former Forest winger Steve Stone told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Apart from the first goal, this hasn’t been about that – the line is disjointed.
“The full-backs were very wide. If the ball turns over quickly and you pass it with your first pass you can be right through them. They have been exposed today.
“Oliver Glasner’s team have played through them every time.”
It was a miserable return to the City Ground for Anderson since his £116m move to City in the summer and the midfield dynamic alongside Enzo Fernandez does not seem to be working.
The Argentine should have scored with a headed chance from close range but spent much of the game complaining in referee Sam Barrott’s ear – City team-mates and supporters may be expecting more from their club record signing.
The former Chelsea player scored in the midweek Champions League win at RB Leipzig, but that is his only goal or assist in his past nine games.
Maresca needs to work out how to get the best out of Fernandez during the international break.
Stone added: “I came here tonight thinking City would win, I thought they had chances. This is a real hammer blow to them, there is something not right about the back four at the minute.
“I have never seen a City team give the ball away so much in the middle of the park.”
