Why was Marc Guehi substituted at Aston Villa? Enzo Maresca says the defender’s yellow card contributed to his half-time withdrawal, and the Manchester City manager insists he has no worries about Guehi’s form.
The explanation comes after City’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park, their first Premier League loss of the season. Guehi’s heavy touch helped create Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal, but Maresca did not present the change as a loss of faith in his defender.
Why was Marc Guehi substituted at half-time?
Speaking after the match, Maresca pointed to the booking and the demands of City’s approach. The Guardian quoted him saying: “The change was also because he was on a yellow card and in the way we want to be aggressive, sometimes to have one yellow card can be dangerous, but I’m not worried at all.”
That word “also” matters. The manager gave a disciplinary consideration without claiming it was the only factor. He also noted the amount of football Guehi had played for club and country.
BBC Sport’s post-match account separately records Maresca saying both players he withdrew at the interval were on yellow cards. His concern was the risk of continuing in a noisy stadium with those cautions already in place.
Guehi and Cherki changes are not injury announcements
City’s official report confirms Rico Lewis and Phil Foden replaced Guehi and Rayan Cherki at the break. It also says both outgoing players were on yellow cards.
There is no injury diagnosis in those explanations. Nor do they establish that either player sits out the next match. Context for Cherki’s withdrawal comes from Maresca’s earlier discussion of his role, not from an unsupported selection verdict.
City still have a finishing problem to address
Maresca’s defence of Guehi did not mean he dismissed the defeat. He told the Guardian City had probably not been clinical enough in Villa’s penalty area and needed to learn from the match.
Haaland equalised after the changes, but Jackson restored Villa’s lead. The substitutions and City’s response therefore explain only part of the afternoon, not a claim that the changes solved everything.
Our pre-match injury update covers the earlier availability picture. The new information is Maresca’s explanation for the interval decisions, not a fresh injury or a confirmed next starting XI.
Sources: Manchester City, BBC Sport and the Guardian, 24 October 2026.
