Pep Guardiola’s decade of dominance has drawn to a close at Manchester City, with the Spaniard departing the Premier League having changed the tactical landscape of the division like no other.
The Cityzens, for so long, were almost guaranteed success by virtue of the man in the home dugout (the wealth of a petrostate helped, too) at the Etihad Stadium. His legacy will certainly loom over and potentially suffocate the man tasked to replace him.
Enzo Maresca, briefly one of Guardiola’s assistants in Manchester, has the unenviable job. Emulation is borderline impossible, and some will wonder whether a period in the wilderness is set to ensue, much like their cross-city rivals following the 2013 retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The squad he inherits is imperfect and without many of the stalwarts of City’s apex. Maresca won’t be ripping up the playbook, but subtle changes are necessary to ensure no drifting in 2026–27.
Here‘s how they could set up with their new manager.
Enzo Maresca’s Preferred Formation
A Guardiola disciple in 2022–23 after an earlier spell as U21s manager, Maresca was very much a 4-3-3 man at Leicester City, before tweaking his preferred setup at Chelsea to accommodate a No. 10.
In possession, his teams tend to morph into a 3-2-2-3 shape to facilitate a box midfield, but other configurations can be discerned. Wingers hold the width, with one fullback asked to join the midfield pivot while the other shifts infield to form a back three. At Chelsea, Enzo Fernández was given the license to operate between the lines and crash the opposition’s box.
Maresca implemented a strict form of positional play in west London, which the Cityzens were once closely associated with under Guardiola. However, the makeup of his latest squad saw the Spaniard evolve and favor an alternative style. A more direct and vertical approach was embraced.
It will be interesting to see whether the new manager continues down the same path Guardiola began veering towards, or simply reverts to City’s old ways. His Chelsea team were often accused of slow, dreary build-up play bereft of incision.
Without the ball, Maresca’s teams don’t strictly press man-to-man. They operate with great intensity out of possession and will aim to trap opponents in wide areas.
How Enzo Maresca Could Set Up at Man City
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—Man City’s purchase of Donnarumma signaled Guardiola’s tactical shift, and even though the Italian wasn’t exactly outstanding in his debut campaign, Maresca will likely retain the supreme shot-stopper as his No. 1.
RB: Tino Livramento—Matheus Nunes did improve at right back, with Guardiola failing to trust alternatives for much of the season. However, the Portuguese midfielder remains the weak link in City’s defense, and it‘s a position the club will seek to upgrade this summer. Livramento has been linked with a move, with Maresca likely to love the Englishman’s athleticism.
CB: Abdukodir Khusanov—After enduring a torrid start to his Premier League career in early 2025, Uzbekistan trailblazer Khusanov has found his feet in Manchester. While still imperfect, the young center back is an outstanding recovery defender with the physical tools to prosper at the highest level. There’s plenty to work with as a passer, too.
CB: Joško Gvardiol—Despite John Stones’s exit, there’s bound to be stiff competition for the two starting roles at the heart of City’s defense. It may well be a toss-up between Marc Guéhi and Gvardiol for the left-sided position, with the former joining the club in January after the latter suffered a broken leg. Guéhi is fantastic, but Gvardiol is a level above.
LB: Nico O’Reilly—Gvardiol could get the nod at left back, but that would likely displace Nico O’Reilly, who seems perfect for Maresca in an inverted role. O’Reilly developed through Man City’s academy as a midfielder, and his attacking instincts were on full display during a breakout campaign.
CM: Rodri—Stalwarts are trickling out of Manchester, and there’s no guarantee that Rodri won’t be a Real Madrid player by the end of the summer transfer window. He’s flirted with the possibility. If he stays, Rodri will hope to brush aside a difficult 2025–26 season and return to a level comparable to his Ballon d’Or-winning best.
CM: Elliot Anderson—The Cityzens do not need to sign Enzo Fernández. They’re leading the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson, who could blossom into a Fernández-like box-crasher in Manchester. The Englishman is considerably more reliable defensively, too.
RW: Antoine Semenyo—Semenyo’s technical level can fluctuate, occasionally rendering him a frustrating watch, but the devastating threat the Ghanaian offered at Bournemouth didn’t fade in Manchester. His versatility is to be cherished, with Guardiola utilizing him in several roles. He’s effective in and around the box, but is also capable of hugging the touchline and taking on his marker in one-on-one situations.
AM: Rayan Cherki—Maverick Cole Palmer suffered under Maresca, and Cherki may be set for a similar fate. Still, this is a talent that Guardiola couldn’t ignore, and the new manager would be foolish to inhibit the Frenchman’s glorious individualism by imposing a litany of positional constraints.
LW: Jérémy Doku—Doku came to the fore in Guardiola’s final season at the helm, and is bound to emerge as a key man under the new regime.
