Enzo Maresca believes Manchester City's 3-0 win at Liverpool was “good for all” at the club and reiterated that City will win their appeal against Premier League financial breaches.
City maintain their innocence after being found guilty of 114 charges by an independent commission, with the club facing severe punishment that could include expulsion from the competition. Sunday's visit to Anfield, their first match since the findings, ended in a comfortable victory after Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off shortly after the hour with the game still goalless.
Maresca unfazed by charges
Maresca is unconcerned about the possibility that the result may ultimately count for nothing. “You cannot imagine how happy I am,” said the City boss. “I don't care about (the charges), I'm here to try to prepare the games and win games.”
“I said many times, hopefully I can speak about this situation when we're going to win the appeal. Winning 3-0 at Anfield away, it's a great result for sure. I think in this moment all the organisation needs this kind of win, so it's good for us as a coaching staff, it's good for the players, it's good for the fans, it's good for the organisation. This kind of win is good for all the club.”
Players focused on football
City were subjected to relentless abuse from Liverpool supporters before, during and after the game, with the Reds having missed out on several trophies in recent years against the Etihad outfit. Maresca said his players remained focused on the pitch.
“The players they just focus on football,” said Maresca. “They are not thinking about the noise, about what's happening in the future. They are 20, 25, 28, they just focus on what they like, that is play games, and that's it.”
“I said during the week, we need to learn how to deal with the outside noise because of the situation and the noise will be always there. But at the same time we need to try to make our noise, that is win games like we have done today, because at the end of the game, I think our fans they were singing, so the noise was from us and not from the environment.”
“All the away games, they're going to be with noise. So that's why I'm saying that we need to learn how to deal with the noise, but at the same time we need to make our noise. And our noise is we're singing at the end, our fans, us, and this has to be our target in this moment.”
City's team coach, carrying City Football Group chief Ferran Soriano, arrived at Anfield through a side entrance after taking an alternative route. Maresca said the pre-match was “quite a normal situation” and that the first half was a struggle before adjustments at half-time improved the performance, with the red card and Erling Haaland's opening goal proving decisive. He added that it was not easy for the players after the last two or three weeks, but they handled the situation well.
