Maresca shrugs off Hurzeler's revenge talk ahead of Brighton's Premier League visit to City

Enzo Maresca has played down any suggestion of a feud with Fabian Hurzeler ahead of Brighton’s Premier League trip to Manchester City, dismissing the Brighton manager’s talk of revenge as something that concerns the Seagulls more than his own side.

Hurzeler had said City “had the luck” in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory — a result that ended a run of three straight defeats for City against Brighton — and framed a win in the Premier League meeting as the ideal response. Maresca, speaking at his pre-match press conference, was unmoved.

“This is what he said. Every manager can say something different. It depends on what you see with your eyes. But I respect what he said,” Maresca told reporters. “If it’s revenge or these kinds of things, it’s more about them, not about us.”

The two managers carry some history from their time in charge of Chelsea and Brighton respectively. When the clubs met twice in a week two seasons ago, Maresca declined to comment on Hurzeler while praising his predecessor Roberto De Zerbi. Brighton won both games — the FA Cup tie and the subsequent Premier League fixture — and made a pointed reference to Maresca’s remarks on social media after the second result.

Now reunited at the top end of the Premier League, the dynamic has shifted. City head into the weekend level on points with Arsenal at the summit, five clear of third-placed Brighton, though Aston Villa’s victory last week ended City’s perfect start to the season.

Maresca acknowledged Brighton’s attacking threat but kept his focus on preparation rather than mind games. “They attack with many players, they score many goals, they create many chances,” he said. “We’re going to try to do our best and try to win the game.”

A second win over Brighton inside a week would reinforce City’s position at the top of the table and further cool any talk of a rivalry between the two benches.