City cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Blues on Saturday evening in Ohio, with Erling Haaland stealing the show with a hat-trick to indicate that he is ready to hit the ground running when the 2024/25 gets underway in under two weeks’ time.
Individual errors in build-up play have been a key sticking point in what has been a shaky pre-season tour of the United States from Chelsea, but Guardiola is retaining the faith in his former assistant manager.
Speaking after City’s emphatic victory, he said: “At Stamford Bridge, this would not happen.
“Let me say this, I see what Enzo wants to do and I like it. And I don’t just say that because he’s my friend.”
Chelsea’s blunders and insistence on playing out from the back played a role in each of City’s four goals on the night.
New signing Tosin Adarabioyo forfeited possession inside his own penalty area before Haaland was brought down by Levi Colwill for a penalty after just two minutes, which he converted.
Erling Haaland bagged a hat-trick against Chelsea (Image: Getty)
Moises Caicedo’s misplaced pass into the path of Haaland proved costly just moments later, with the Norway international not needing a second invitation when offered the opportunity to bear down on goal.
Raheem Sterling and Malo Gusto will both feel that they should have done better ahead of City’s third and fourth goals, with Oscar Bobb getting on the scoresheet amid reports that he is among the targets of Chelsea.
Sterling and Noni Madueke came off of the bench to halve the deficit, though it was ultimately a performance which highlighted the gulf in quality between the two sides and highlighted to Maresca that there is plenty for his squad to work on.
Enzo Maresca will have learned plenty about his side on Saturday (Image: Getty)
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Speaking after the defeat, the ex-Leicester City boss said: “I don’t have any doubt in terms of the progress the team is doing at the moment.
“The mistake is part of the process. I knew City for many years, even in friendly games, they don’t concede chances or possession but in the first half, I don’t remember them making six or seven passes in a row. So that is a good thing.”
