Maresca matches Premier League record as Man City rout Liverpool 3-0

Enzo Maresca has matched a Premier League managerial record after guiding Manchester City to a 3-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday, extending his winning start to six consecutive league matches.

The Italian, who took over from Pep Guardiola this summer, became one of only three managers to win their first six Premier League games in charge of a club, matching Guardiola’s achievement at City in the 2016/17 season.

Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki secured City’s victory at Anfield after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for two yellow-card offences.

The result restored City’s three-point lead at the top of the table and maintained Maresca’s perfect start as he seeks to establish his tenure following Guardiola’s departure.

The victory also came amid heightened scrutiny of City after an independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules. Man City deny wrongdoing and have challenged the findings, with the outcome of the appeal expected to determine any eventual sanctions.

“We need to learn how to deal with the outside noise, but make our own noise, which is to win games,” Maresca said. “Our fans were singing at the end, so the noise was from us.”

The financial case centres on allegations that City misrepresented commercial revenue and costs over several years. The commission’s findings relate to a period between 2009 and 2018, during which the club established itself among English football’s dominant sides.

No final sanction has been imposed. Potential consequences have been widely debated, including a points deduction, although the club’s appeal process remains central to the case.

City’s success during the period under investigation included multiple Premier League titles and other major trophies. Rivals have argued that the alleged financial breaches affected the competitive balance of the league, while City have consistently rejected accusations of wrongdoing.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said the uncertainty surrounding the case was unwelcome.

“The uncertainty is not good for anyone,” he said.

City’s trip to Anfield had been expected to draw a hostile reception following the financial ruling, but the match passed without a repeat of the violence surrounding the team’s bus arrival ahead of a Champions League fixture in 2018.

Six wins from six league matches put Maresca alongside some of the competition’s fastest-starting managers and gave City an early advantage in the title race.