Manchester City take their perfect league start into the Maresca Anfield test on Sunday, with a sixth straight win offering Enzo Maresca a place in a small Premier League group.
Image credit: Alan Murray-Rust, Geograph via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
According to City’s official preview, victory over Liverpool would make Maresca the fourth manager to win his first six Premier League games in charge of a club. It is an opportunity, not a forecast: Liverpool away remains a demanding test.
Maresca’s sixth-win opportunity
City won their opening five league matches before the international break and the Maresca Anfield test. The club’s Opta-assisted Liverpool analysis, published on Thursday 8th October, sets out the milestone within reach.
Therefore, a sixth win in the Maresca Anfield test would extend the start and secure the manager’s place in that group. A draw or defeat would end the winning sequence, regardless of the wider season ahead.
The early run provides a strong platform, but five matches are not a full campaign. However, the Maresca Anfield test asks whether City can maintain their level against a different opponent away from home.
City face a difficult Anfield record
The same club analysis, ahead of the Maresca Anfield test, says City have won only three of their 29 Premier League visits to Anfield. It also notes that City won both league meetings with Liverpool last season.
However, those records describe the past, not the outcome of Sunday’s match. They show why a good recent result and a difficult longer history can both be part of the build-up.
The analysis recalls Bernardo Silva and a late Erling Haaland goal turning the previous Anfield meeting around. For example, there is no promise that this match will follow the same pattern.
Maresca Anfield test: preparation, not a confirmed line-up
Friday’s official team update says Haaland is fit and available, while Phil Foden remains suspended. Our report on Maresca’s news conference and Haaland’s availability covers those updates.
Being available does not confirm a starting place. City will announce the team on matchday, and any later fitness news takes precedence over the pre-match position.
Sunday 11th October’s match kicks off at 4.30pm UK time. See our Liverpool v City UK viewing guide for broadcast details.
For City supporters, the Maresca Anfield test is a chance to extend a winning start at a ground where points have often been hard to earn. The milestone is a useful measure of Maresca’s opening league run, not a verdict on the season.
