Maresca says Man Utd do one thing more than any other Premier League side | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca says Manchester United are a “very dangerous” prospect for Manchester City on Sunday for one particular reason.

Maresca takes his City side to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon looking to maintain his 100 per cent record in charge of the Citizens in his debut season at the helm.

City have beaten Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry in what some might describe as a relatively gentle start to the season, while United lost to Hull City on the opening day before beating Ipswich and drawing with Everton.

Ahead of the biggest game of the season for both clubs so far, Maresca insists he is well aware of the threat Michael Carrick’s side pose.

“They are the team in the Premier League at the moment who plays the most balls in behind,” said the Manchester City boss.

“It’s quite clear that they’re very dangerous and they don’t need many passes. They are quite direct when they recover the ball.”

Maresca isn’t the first Premier League manager to pick out long balls as one of the Red Devils’ greatest strengths, with former Liverpool boss Arne Slot labouring over the same aspect of their game after United – then managed by Ruben Amorim – won 2-1 at Anfield last October.

Slot said: “It is always difficult to play against a team that defends in a low block and mainly plays the long ball.”

While Slot’s words in particular were taken as a criticism of United’s style of play, Maresca also moved to heap praise on the job Carrick has done at the Old Trafford helm.

Carrick led United back into the Champions League after taking over midway through last season and was handed a two-year permanent deal as reward for his achievements.

“I think he’s doing a fantastic job since last season,” Maresca added. “He took over in a complicated situation, finished very well.

“This season more or less starts in the same way so he’s doing a very good job.”

Sesko or no Sesko?

It remains to be seen which out of Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko will form United’s front three on Sunday amid pressure from fans to Benjamin Sesko – who came off the bench to score against Everton last weekend – a starting berth.

Carrick wasn’t giving anything away in his pre-match press conference.

“It’s obvious they have different strengths,” he said. “I think there’s principles of what we’re trying to achieve as a team and the way we’re trying to play it would hopefully doesn’t change too much with personnel, but it definitely gives us different options, if that makes sense.

“We still want to play a certain way, try certain things, but there’s a different threat to Ben, to Matheus, to Bryan, to Marcus, you know, to whoever’s up there.

“So it’s a little bit on the opposition and just the balance of our team as well, and certain things we want to, we want to attack, certain spaces or whatever that may be. Sometimes it’s in possession, sometimes it’s without the ball, and certain things we’ve got to defend certain areas. So it’s quite a bit that goes into it.”