Manchester City face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night in what will be the club's first home game since being found guilty of more than 100 charges by an independent commission in the long-running case with the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca and Ruben Dias are due to speak to the media at 12pm, with the Blues looking to build on their perfect start to the Premier League season. City continued their 100 per cent record on Sunday with a 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool at Anfield, restoring their three-point advantage at the top of the table.
Attention now turns to Europe, with two-time defending champions PSG in town for what is expected to be a blockbuster fixture. City won their opening Champions League League Phase game, and a victory on Wednesday would be a huge statement and see the Blues take a big step towards earning a top-eight finish.
Transfer success story
Around 18 months ago, it felt like some Manchester City fans were ready to liquidate the club themselves without the need for an independent commission. Pep Guardiola's side had just endured a miserable season, and their top target was going off to join Premier League champions Liverpool instead.
City sporting director Hugo Viana pivoted and, as the Amazon documentary shows, came to the realisation that Rayan Cherki could be a steal. He arrived from Lyon for just £26m and has 22 goals and assists from 39 Premier League appearances, compared to Wirtz's nine in the same timeframe.
Maresca's key changes
They say a change is as good as a rest, and if that is the case then Enzo Maresca must be the most relaxed man in football. The Manchester City boss has presided over a perfect start to the Premier League season, with the Blues six from six and three points clear at the top of the table.
The latest victory, at Liverpool on Sunday, saw City deliver a performance against the backdrop of the guilty verdict in the long-running 115 case against the Premier League and at a ground where they haven't tasted success too often in the last two decades.
While the cloud of the charges hangs over City, the top-flight and English football in general, the way Maresca has managed matches from the sidelines is commendable. The Italian replaced Pep Guardiola in the summer, with plenty wondering whether he would be able to hit the ground running following a decade of the Catalan. City have done that and then some, and one Maresca trait that has stood out in the opening weeks is his use of substitutions.
