Opinions, analysis and commentary
Enzo Maresca has done it by rebuilding the midfield after taking over from Pep Guardiola this summer, trusting Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki to finish chances, and surviving a couple of shaky afternoons. Manchester City top the table on 18 points, three clear of Arsenal, and nobody else in the division has a perfect record. The figures describe a team that is efficient and occasionally fragile rather than one that overwhelms opponents. Few managers in league history have begun a reign this cleanly.
Second place and a seven-point gap to Arsenal last season set the brief, and Maresca answered by overhauling the engine room. Elliot Anderson cost £116 million from Nottingham Forest, while Chelsea received £125 million for Enzo Fernández, so those two midfielders alone carried a £241 million price tag. Allan, Iliman Ndiaye and Ayyoub Bouaddi were also added as Rodri and Bernardo Silva left the club.
For the two most recent league fixtures, Maresca has lined City up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, Fernández and Anderson forming the double pivot. Ndiaye, Cherki and Antoine Semenyo line up behind Haaland, giving the striker three runners to feed from. After the 5-3 victory over Sunderland, he said a 1-0 win would have pleased him more.
Six matches have produced six victories by very different routes. Bournemouth led on opening day until the 84th minute, and City turned it round to win 2-1; the winning margins after that were three goals, one, one, two and three. Measured by expected goals, City had the better chances in every game except the 5-3 Sunderland win.
City’s 16 goals came from about 11.5 xG, while the five they have let in compare with 7.6 expected. Per game that means 2.7 scored and 0.8 conceded, for a goal difference of +11. Efficient is the right word for this side, not overpowering. The 3.14 xG at Crystal Palace was the highest single-game figure of the six and the 0.86 at Old Trafford the lowest, yet both ended in victory.
| Matchweek | Opponent | Result | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | xG |
| 1 | Bournemouth (H) | W 2-1 | 2 | 1 | 2.30 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace (A) | W 4-1 | 4 | 1 | 3.14 |
| 3 | Coventry City (H) | W 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 1.45 |
| 4 | Manchester United (A) | W 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0.86 |
| 5 | Sunderland (H) | W 5-3 | 5 | 3 | 2.72 |
| 6 | Liverpool (A) | W 3-0 | 3 | 0 | 1.78 |
Haaland leads the Golden Boot race with six goals in six games. The opening day passed without a goal from him, but he has scored in all five league matches since. The output has been steady rather than explosive.
Cherki has chipped in with four goals plus a pair of assists, each of them as a substitute against Bournemouth, and his first three goals were worth only 0.72 xG between them. He and Haaland are responsible for 10 of City’s 16 league goals. Doku, returning from a calf problem, came on for the closing quarter-hour against Sunderland and has scored once as a substitute.
Five goals conceded in six games sounds modest, but Sunderland supplied three of them. Coventry, United at Old Trafford and Liverpool at Anfield all failed to score against City. Those three shutouts carry most of the defensive credit, and they suggest the problem is a handful of lapses rather than a systemic failure.
Last season City let 20 points slip from winning positions. This season, each of the three occasions they led at the break ended in victory, namely Palace, Coventry and Sunderland. They also recovered from a half-time deficit against Bournemouth and won twice from level at the interval, against United and Liverpool.
Ipswich Town travel to the Etihad for the Saturday 17 October fixture, and victory would take City to 21 points. No manager has ever won his first seven league games at a Premier League club, so Maresca has a record within reach.
The danger lies at the back, because Sunderland scored three and Bournemouth held a lead until the 84th minute. For all the praise surrounding the Man City Premier League 2026 Maresca story, a side that concedes in clusters can still be caught by a sharp opponent.
Can Maresca keep City perfect through Ipswich, or will the leaky moments finally cost them points? Share your prediction in the comments.
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Who replaced Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager?
Enzo Maresca, a former Chelsea head coach, replaced Guardiola at the Etihad this summer. He has won all six of his opening league games and leads City through the 2026-27 season.
How many points have City collected from six league games?
City have collected a maximum of 18 points from six wins. That puts them three clear of Arsenal, who are second with 15, and they are the only side with a perfect record.
Which managers won their opening six league matches at a Premier League club?
Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Ole Gunnar Solskjær managed it before Maresca. Those starts came at Chelsea in 2009/10, at City in 2016/17 and at Manchester United from December 2018.
Who is City’s leading scorer this season?
Erling Haaland leads the scoring charts on six league goals. Rayan Cherki follows with four, and the pair together have scored 10 of City’s 16 league goals this season.
When do City play next in the Premier League?
City welcome Ipswich Town to the Etihad Stadium on 17 October 2026, a Saturday. Kick-off is at 3 pm BST, and a win would take City to 21 points from seven games.
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