Enzo Maresca has warned Gianluigi Donnarumma to put last weekend’s mistakes behind him as Manchester City prepare to face Brighton for the second time within a few days.
City’s perfect start to the campaign came to an end at Villa Park on Saturday, where Nicolas Jackson punished a sluggish Donnarumma for the second goal in a 2-1 defeat.
That was the first time Maresca has tasted league defeat since taking charge at Etihad Stadium in the summer. The result left City level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table, though they remain ahead on goal difference.
Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League meeting with Brighton, Maresca did not only warned his number one but also defended him rather than pile on the criticism that followed the Villa loss.
“Any player, at the end, makes mistakes. The important thing is to move on, to understand the reason why, to learn from that mistake, and just move on,” Maresca said.
The Italian also reminded supporters of the role Donnarumma has played in some of City’s biggest results this season, pointing to a crucial late stop against rivals Manchester United.
“In this moment, we are talking about Gigio, but just remember in the last minutes against Manchester United away, the save.” Maresca said per City Xtra
“A normal process for Gigio”
Rather than treat the error as a red flag, Maresca framed it as an inevitable consequence of a congested fixture list that has seen his squad play almost non-stop since August.
“All players make mistakes at some points of the season, sometimes it costs points, sometimes not because we are lucky. But I think it’s a normal process for Gigio,” he said.
That message has been echoed in several of Maresca’s recent media appearances, where he has leaned on the same theme. He claimed that the sheer volume of matches makes occasional lapses unavoidable, even for a goalkeeper of Donnarumma’s calibre.
The 27-year-old, who joined City from Paris Saint-Germain last summer for a reported £26m fee, had already been under scrutiny following City’s 4-2 Champions League defeat by his former club earlier this month, with question marks over his distribution and footwork compounding the pressure after Villa.
City’s manager has backed that scrutiny with action as much as words. Donnarumma was among five players — alongside Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Josko Gvardiol and captain Ruben Dias — given three days off to recharge following the trip to Villa Park.
City’s backup goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli handed the gloves for the midweek Carabao Cup tie against Brighton. Marc Guehi, who was also at fault for Villa’s opening goal, has received similar public support from his manager, with Maresca describing the defender as “a top guy” and “one of the captains” of the squad.
Brighton loom as tricky test, twice over
City’s fixture list has thrown up an unusual quirk, with Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton will face them once again. The Cityzens defeated their rival in the League Cup during penalty shootout and will try to secure all the three points in the league on Saturday.
Maresca has made clear he expects a stern examination from a Seagulls side he rates highly this season, given their attacking threat and the chances they have been creating in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s game offers an immediate chance for Donnarumma to answer his critics. Having sat out the midweek cup tie as part of his scheduled rest, the Italian is expected to return between the posts at Etihad Stadium.
