Manchester City‘s remarkable start to life under new head coach Enzo Maresca has drawn a sharp response from Arsenal fan and broadcaster Piers Morgan, who accused the Premier League leaders of lacking “humility” following their seventh consecutive league win of the season.
City beat Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with Phil Foden and a brace from Erling Haaland securing the points and extending Maresca’s perfect record since taking charge in the summer.
The Italian, who replaced Pep Guardiola after a decade in which the Catalan transformed City into English football’s dominant force, has become the first manager in Premier League history to win each of his opening seven matches with a single club.
Morgan’s dig follows club’s celebratory post
The achievement prompted Manchester City to mark the milestone on social media, but the celebration did not sit well with Morgan.
Responding to City’s post on X, Morgan wrote: “Some humility wouldn’t go amiss given none of these wins will count by the end of this season.”
The comment is a pointed reference to the cloud still hanging over the club. Manchester City were found guilty by an independent Premier League commission on 29 September of breaching the division’s financial rules over a nine-season period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
The panel ruling against the club on the vast majority of more than 100 charges relating to accurate reporting of income and sponsorship arrangements. City has strongly disputed the findings, branding the verdict “unsafe”, and lodged a formal appeal on 1 October.
No date has yet been set for the outcome of that process, and City have continued to insist they will be vindicated.
Despite the uncertainty, there has been no sign of it affecting performances on the pitch. Maresca’s side are creating records and sit top of the table as the post-Guardiola era gets under way in style.
Focus shifts to Europe and the title race
For Maresca, who returned to the Etihad after previous stints as City’s under-23s coach and as Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022-23 treble-winning campaign, the job now is to keep the squad’s attention on results rather than the verdict.
Speaking before the Premier League’s finding was published, he had already stressed to his players that the focus remained on matches rather than off-field matters.
City’s attention turns to the Champions League in midweek, with a trip to face AEK Athens on Tuesday, before league commitments resume.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have their own task at hand if they are to keep pace at the top. Mikel Arteta’s side must beat Nottingham Forest away from home to stay within touching distance of City, who have opened up daylight at the summit.
