Maresca demands City end defensive errors after back-to-back Premier League defeats

Enzo Maresca has urged Manchester City to eliminate individual defensive mistakes after a second consecutive Premier League defeat left the manager frustrated despite a performance he felt deserved better. Brighton’s winner, gifted by a Matheus Nunes error, followed a similarly costly collapse against Aston Villa the previous week, when Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma were at fault for the goals that ended City’s unbeaten run.

The defeats represent a sharp reversal for a side that had opened the season with seven straight Premier League wins. In both losses, City created the better chances but were undone at either end by opponents who punished their lapses more ruthlessly.

Maresca acknowledged the performances had been encouraging but was clear that results must follow. “In this moment we are conceding silly goals that we can avoid and hopefully we can avoid in the next game,” he said.

The City manager was measured in his assessment of the errors, framing them as part of the game while insisting the squad must learn quickly. “Unfortunately it is happening for our players but I think it is part of the game, part of football — it happens many times against us. We need to analyse, understand what we can do better and try to move on.”

Maresca left no doubt about the mood inside the camp. “For sure we are not happy. The players, me, the coaching staff — no one is happy when we lose games at all. But we were aware we were not going to win all the games, so these kind of moments arrive. We just need to try to improve things, move on and try to win games as soon as possible.”

City’s ability to cut out the individual errors that have defined both defeats will be the key test as they look to arrest the slide and return to winning form in the Premier League.