City's Strong Start Meets Its First Real Test
Manchester City's 2026-27 campaign has begun with a run of eight consecutive wins in all competitions, a start that has eased Enzo Maresca into his first season in charge. That sequence ended with a 4-2 defeat to PSG, and now the manager must confront a more familiar problem: keeping his key players fresh through a relentless fixture list.
Speaking to the media yesterday ahead of City's upcoming Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town, Maresca acknowledged that Erling Haaland will need to be rested at some point in the near future. The Norwegian had a busy summer with Norway at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the manager was quick to point out that the issue extends beyond his star striker.
“At some point we probably need to give him rest, some days off,” Maresca said. “We are thinking about this not just with Erling because we have players, unfortunately or fortunately, they are playing all the games with us and all the games with the international teams.”
Maresca went on to name Elliot, Enzo, Marc, Erling and Rúben as players who may need rest, underlining the scale of the juggling act. The fixture list is relentless and there are no easy games, so the temptation to keep his best players on the pitch is understandable.
Fortunately for Maresca, City do have the necessary squad depth to rotate. The challenge will be using it without disrupting the rhythm that produced those eight straight wins. As the season wears on, the manager's ability to manage minutes across a talented but fatigued squad will be tested.
For now, the immediate focus is Ipswich. But the bigger picture is clear: Maresca's first season will be defined as much by his rotation decisions as by his tactics.