IAN LADYMAN: If Enzo Maresca is lucky we will one day look back and ask when it was we finally felt he had truly taken hold of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and claimed it as his own. If he is really lucky and if he does enough and wins enough to stick around for the long-term‚ then we may reflect on derby day in September 2026 as the day we finally drew a line under the years of Guardiola genius. So far it's been a slow burn for Maresca at City and that's because Guardiola still has his name and his principles running right through this City team. Phil Foden‚ Erling Haaland‚ Ruben Dias‚ Rayan Cherki. It's impossible not to see the great Catalan in so much of what they do.

City have had a flying start to the new season‚ securing dominant victories against Crystal Palace‚ Bournemouth and Coventry. United have had a sluggish start‚ with just four points in three games. Last time the two met‚ United won 2-0 at Old Trafford in what would be Pep Guardiola's last Manchester derby in charge and then-interim manager Michael Carrick 's first‚ with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu. This time‚ Enzo Maresca is in charge of the blue side‚ and Carrick is the permanent boss of the Red Devils.

Guardiola reveals to Giggs an England star is ‘the best player' at Man Utd

Ryan Giggs reveals Pep Guardiola hailed England star as the 'best player' at Man Utd

JACK GAUGHAN: Ghosts of the Dragao were whispering. Whispering about holding midfielders and overthinking‚ whispering about Kai Havertz and gaping defences‚ whispering about throwing away matches that Manchester City had dominated. The circumstances around the 2021 Champions League final in this very stadium still haunt those of a City persuasion but not the squad. How can they? Only Phil Foden and Ruben Dias are left from that defeat by Chelsea‚ a Covid final in front of half a ground and when travelling City supporters were drowsy from the drink in the baking sun down by the River Douro. Drowsier still afterwards. Past glories and past failures cannot be on Enzo Maresca's agenda‚ carving a fresh team with a tweaked identity‚ although starting a teenager in Ayyoub Bouaddi instead of the more seasoned Elliot Anderson could easily have become a nod to Pep Guardiola's infamous decision to not operate with a conventional No 6 against Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea.

Man City's Ruben Dias reveals differences between Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola

Boban: Maldini ‘didn't betray' Italy's agreements'‚ we should ‘all thank' Guardiola

Ex France Star Sagna: ‘Fabregas To Replace Flick At Barcelona' - Maresca & Guardiola ‘Have Same DNA'

City count the cost of Guardiola and Rodri departures

Pep's position will be untenable if Man City are found guilty of 115 charges

Revolution at Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's departure causes an unprecedented historic exodus

'So-so' Rayan Cherki pledges Man City to 'start another story' after Pep Guardiola

Márquez leans on Guardado and Guardiola's people in the 'Tri'

Nico O'Reilly: Pep's trust secured PFA award

Post-Pep Premier League era begins with blast of hyper-managed shock and awe

Post-Pep Premier League era begins with blast of hyper-managed shock and awe

Influencer Pawgli‚ who has been dating £18million full-back Pep Chavarria since November‚ has moved to the English capital despite severe reservations over the switch. In her previous videos‚ she spoke about the 'scary' prospect of leaving Madrid and the opportunities and family she has there.

Man City 2-1 Bournemouth: Cherki spark ignites opening-day turnaround

Erling Haaland's striking new look: the reactions of Ibra‚ Guardiola and Noel Gallagher

Maresca hoping for Pep start

KNVB chief De Jong admits Guardiola was dream candidate for Netherlands job‚

Man City begin post-Pep era with tricky home fixture against Bournemouth

IAN LADYMAN: Pep Guardiola may be gone from the Premier League but his shadow remains. Footage from a new Manchester City documentary has revealed the desperate and unusual lengths the great Catalan went to in a bid to energise and motivate his players over the course of his final two seasons. Watching a genius struggle for new ideas is painful but insightful. Every manager in the game reaches a stage where old methods fail‚ players stop hanging on every word and the stresses and strains of the job simply become too much.

Man City eyeing £51m-rated Man Utd cast-off as Maresca dismantles Pep's squad

Man City vs Leicester: Jamie Vardy got under Pep Guardiola's skin and might just have changed his mind forever

Premier League preview No 15: Maresca leads Manchester City into uncertain new era

Pep's final act of passion: Amazon's revealing Guardiola series pulls no punches

The day Pep was left in tears after row with Walker

Kyle Walker targeted amid Pep Guardiola divorce from ‘most beautiful woman in your planet'

Guardiola's row with Walker revealed in new Amazon documentary

JACK GAUGHAN: While presiding over a wretched stretch of nine defeats in 12 games‚ the Catalan dug deep into his soul in an attempt to shock City players into action. After losing 2-0 away at Juventus in the Champions League ‚ a visibly frustrated Guardiola compared the separation to a sharp decline in performances from his team.

Guardiola-Walker fallout revealed in new documentary

JACK GAUGHAN: Even when signing his final new contract in November 2024‚ Pep Guardiola knew that change would soon be necessary at Manchester City. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak could feel their time together coming to a close during a meeting in Abu Dhabi to decide on an extension amid the worst run of results throughout Guardiola's gilded career.

Arsenal thrash City‚ lost without Guardiola

OLIVER HOLT IN CARDIFF: When the curtain went up on the new Premier League season at the Principality Stadium‚ Manchester City recoiled at what they saw. Pep Guardiola was not standing on the touchline for a start. In his stead‚ poor Enzo Maresca looked like a man blotted out by the shadow of his predecessor's greatness.

The opening day of the Premier League season is fast approaching‚ with a supercomputer backing Arsenal to defend their title in the 2026-27 campaign. Mikel Arteta's side ended a 22-year wait to be crowned champions last term‚ with the Gunners holding off Man City after finishing as runners-up in three successive seasons. Arteta will look to become just the fourth manager in Premier League history to retain the title‚ following Sir Alex Ferguson‚ Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

How Maresca's Man City are shaping up compared with Guardiola

Pep Chavarria reveals 'Alonso factor' persuaded him on Chelsea move

Chelsea make approach to sign £80m Man Utd target after Pep Chavarria transfer

Chelsea seal signing of Rayo Vallecano defender Pep Chavarria

Ayyoub Bouaddi set to obliterate record? Most expensive U18 players of all-time

JACK GAUGHAN IN SEOUL: The manager's office is no more. Converted into a meeting room these days‚ one still filled by an aura of the guy who bid a teary farewell three months ago. Those walls can talk and Enzo Maresca would rather do his just down the corridor instead. Maresca‚ the new Manchester City boss‚ has taken up permanent residence in the office previously held by a Pep of the Lijnders vintage rather than Guardiola. The decision‚ one of his first in the chair‚ represents a literal embodiment of the reset that Maresca has been preaching to his players during pre-season in Asia.

Maresca admits he will always be compared to Guardiola: He is the best manager in the world

Following Guardiola and captaincy dilemma - Maresca on life at Man City

'Pay me one euro less': Maldini reveals Guardiola was ready to take Italy job for less money

Brian Barry-Murphy: How his father Jimmy‚ Pep Guardiola and Ireland shaped Cardiff's manager

Maldini: Guardiola had already picked Italy team before rejection call

Maldini claims Guardiola was already drafting formations for Italy: 'Money wasn't an issue'

Maldini reveals who he wanted as Italy head coach after Guardiola‚ Ancelotti and Pirlo

Matheus Nunes: Guardiola put Man City on an 'unreachable level'

Medical scheduled: Chelsea target travelling to England as transfer edges closer

Enzo Maresca has the Man City star he needs to address Pep Guardiola warning

Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea's eighth summer signing with ‘Here We Go'

Semenyo backs Enzo Maresca to succeed as Man City deal without Pep Guardiola

Chelsea's Pep Chavarria move means Leeds United star is now likely to stay

Chelsea close in on Pep Chavarria transfer as youngster gets promotion

Chelsea nearing agreement with Rayo Vallecano for Pep Chavarria

Buffon questions Italy's Conte snub and claims: ‘For Guardiola they could have gone further'

Man City‚ Rodri and the £50m question faced in post-Pep world

Chelsea agree €25 million move as new signing prepares for medical

Rodri's Madrid move would leave City with huge problems

Enzo Maresca backed by Man City star as 'perfect' Pep Guardiola successor

Today's Papers - Guardiola-style Inter‚ World Cup without Europe

Video: From Guardiola to Pirlo to Mancini: Italy's coaching chaos explained

Italy bosses take sudden action after Pep Guardiola decision and Man City icon's demands

Enzo Maresca: Managing Manchester City 'a privilege'‚ but challenging to following Guardiola

What might be next for chaotic Italy after Pirlo dilemma and Guardiola snub?

Andrea Pirlo is no longer in the running to become Italy's next manager after 'political' concerns were raised over the football legend's sponsorship deal with a Russian betting company. Pirlo‚ 47‚ was backed by former team-mate and new Italian Football Federation (FIGC) technical director Paolo Maldini to land the role after legendary ex-Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly declined the opportunity. The former AC Milan and Juventus star was on the brink of agreeing a deal with the crisis-hit football nation before several Italian politicians raised concerns about Pirlo's role as an ambassador for Russian betting firm Fonbet.

Italy's Sport Minister criticises public approach to Guardiola: ‘A gamble'

Today's Papers - Pirlo gets the Italy job‚ Inter fight for Romero

Maresca is not Guardiola. As much as he admires the man who brought an unprecedented era of success to City and spent time with last week‚ he made it clear that he intends to do it his way.

Enzo Maresca's first Man City impression offers telling insight into how he aims to follow Pep Guardiola

Enzo Maresca 115 answer hints at Man City change after copying Pep Guardiola act

Grealish offered Man City lifeline by Maresca after Guardiola snub

Pirlo set to be named new Italy manager after Guardiola snub

'You need to evolve': Maresca plots life after Pep at Etihad

Maresca: ‘A privilege' to replace Guardiola‚ ‘good' Donnarumma-Haaland combination

Every word Enzo Maresca said at first Man City press conference - transfers‚ Rodri and Pep Guardiola

'It's a privilege!' - Maresca on succeeding Guardiola at Man City

Maresca says managing City 'a privilege' but admits challenge of following Guardiola

Maresca‚ who left Chelsea in January to pursue the opportunity to succeed Pep Guardiola at City‚ was slammed by his former employer after taking the City job - with the West London club criticising his 'integrity'.

NO POST-PEP PROBLEMS! Maresca insists Man City won't face same issues after Guardiola as Man Utd did following Ferguson's exit

England: Guardiola makes decision on replacing Tuchel after turning down Italy

Guardiola rejects Italy job: LIVE reactions‚ comments & latest updates

8 top-class options to become next Italy manager after Guardiola snub

Ex-Man City boss Pep Guardiola turns down managerial return due to 'family reasons'

Guardiola turns down Italy manager job

Where do Italy turn next after missing out on Guardiola?

Pep Guardiola makes final decision on Italy job as Man City icon speaks out

Guardiola's telling reasons for rejecting Italy job as England learn stance

Buffon rejects opportunity to return to Italy set-up under Maldini and Malagò

Pep Guardiola declines Italy National team head coach offer

Today's Papers: Maldini talks Guardiola and Ancelotti‚ Inter all in for Romero‚

Report: Guardiola says no to Italy as Maldini move onto Plan B

Italy confirm Ancelotti approach before Guardiola

Maldini: Ancelotti was Italy's first choice before Guardiola talks

Is Italy going for a world-class coup? Maldini confirmed contacts with Guardiola and Ancelotti

Maldini: ‘Economic aspect not relevant for Guardiola' after €20m salary report

Glamorous Donnarumma wedding to include Haaland‚ Tonali and Guardiola

Maldini confirms crisis-hit Azzurri have held talks with Guardiola and Ancelotti