Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca expects to see a very direct approach from Manchester United in the derby on Sunday, saying Michael Carrick’s side go long more than any other in the Premier League.
Maresca takes his team to Old Trafford and is looking to keep up his 100 per cent record in the Premier League since taking charge at City, having won his first three top flight games.
It has not been such a good start to the season for the Red Devils, having lost at Hull City on the opening day of the campaign and dropping points at Everton in a 2-2 draw last time out.
Maresca is not underestimating United, though, seeing them as ‘very dangerous’ with a style of play that is more direct than any other side in the division.
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‘They are the team in the Premier League at the moment who plays the most balls in behind,’ said the Manchester City boss.
‘It’s quite clear that they’re very dangerous and they don’t need many passes. They are quite direct when they recover the ball.’
Maresca had praise for the job Carrick has done, since stepping in as interim manager midway through last season and then earning the role on a permanent basis.
‘I think he’s doing a fantastic job since last season,’ said the Italian. ‘He took over in a complicated situation, finished very well.
‘This season more or less starts in the same way so he’s doing a very good job.’
Maresca may be expecting to face plenty of balls over the top of his defence, but it is not clear who his City side will be taking on in United’s front line.
Carrick has Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko to choose from and has been talking up the different threats they all bring.
‘It’s obvious they have different strengths,’ he said. ‘I think there’s principles of what we’re trying to achieve as a team and the way we’re trying to play it would hopefully doesn’t change too much with personnel, but it definitely gives us different options, if that makes sense.
‘We still want to play a certain way, try certain things, but there’s a different threat to Ben, to Matheus, to Bryan, to Marcus, you know, to whoever’s up there.
‘So it’s a little bit on the opposition and just the balance of our team as well, and certain things we want to, we want to attack, certain spaces or whatever that may be. Sometimes it’s in possession, sometimes it’s without the ball, and certain things we’ve got to defend certain areas. So it’s quite a bit that goes into it.’
It remains to be seen who will be playing at left-back for United as well, with Luke Shaw an injury doubt for the Manchester derby.
Patrick Dorgu played on the left of defence against Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday and could be drafted in again if Shaw has not recovered.