Enzo Maresca's honeymoon as Manchester City manager is firmly over. After winning his first seven Premier League matches in charge, back-to-back defeats — first at Aston Villa, then a 1-0 home loss to Brighton — have exposed real vulnerabilities in his side.

City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano were both present at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, watching as their team managed 21 shots without converting a single one — the most fruitless home shooting display since a 23-shot game against Tottenham Hotspur in November 2024.

Defensive frailties piling up

City have conceded 10 goals in nine Premier League fixtures this season — double the tally of closest rivals Arsenal, who lead the table on goal difference. Maresca's side have kept only one clean sheet in their past eight matches across all competitions.

Individual mistakes are at the heart of the problem. After errors at Aston Villa from Gianluigi Donnarumma — who Maresca has publicly committed to as his undisputed number one — and Marc Guehi, Matheus Nunes was the culpable party in the Brighton defeat. Saturday's result also marked the first time City had lost back-to-back Premier League games in 14 months.