Hits and misses: Maresca's Man City experiment gets lucky

Maresca's Man City experiment gets lucky

Enzo Maresca described his first Premier League win as Manchester City boss "the perfect day", but also conceded that his side remain a "work in progress" after beating Bournemouth. That was evident for all to see as Marc Guehi hauled up surprisingly in midfield and Rico Lewis was staged at right-back.

Neither will be expected to continue the campaign in those positions. But City are worryingly short of options. Their performance bearing all the hallmarks of the unfinished article Maresca referenced.

• Man City 2-1 Bournemouth - Report and highlights

Man City will not challenge Arsenal or any side at the top in this condition, with so many of their best stars obviously undercooked. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were both muted. Elliot Anderson lost more duels than he won. Guehi is just not a central midfielder.

But if City can continue to win games while Maresca figures things out, there is reason for optimism. All of those players will get sharper. Guehi will return to being a defender. And help will arrive from elsewhere, with Ayyoub Bouaddi's signing on the horizon. City know they have work to do before the transfer window shuts.

What felt like an afternoon destined to end in disappointment and frustration morphed into one of success for Maresca. The Italian can take credit for the changes he made in the second half to ensure his Etihad bow ended all smiles. He won't be so lucky every week.
Laura Hunter

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Where has the 'old Isak' gone?

Alexander Isak was back at St James' Park.

One of the strangest things about his emotional reunion with Newcastle was how little impact he had.

Just under 12 months since that acrimonious departure, the balance of the transfer already feels remarkably different. Liverpool may still have the long-term prize, but on the evidence of this 2-2 draw, Newcastle have got the better of the deal so far.

The Isak who used to glide around this stadium with an effortless swagger was missing.

There are some mitigating circumstances. Injuries have interrupted his rhythm since moving to Liverpool and, when a forward's body isn't right, sharpness and confidence can disappear quickly. This was never going to be an easy afternoon either, with the St James' Park crowd making their feelings known.

But even allowing for all of that, this did not look like the Isak Newcastle supporters remember.

He lacked the movement. The explosiveness. The menace.

Most importantly, he lacked that aura.

There is plenty of time for Isak to change that story yet whether the 'old Isak' will ever resurface is a debatable question.
Lewis Jones

Wissa is back! Newcastle may have found a new dimension

Yoane Wissa was signed by Newcastle to be the finisher, not the conductor of the orchestra.

However, against Liverpool the Newcastle forward operated predominantly as a No 10 and, for long periods, ran the show.

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Wissa didn't just look sharp again after a difficult spell but Matthias Jaissle appears to have found a role capable of bringing the best out of him.

There was the intensity, of course. Jaissle's football demands it. Newcastle were relentless without the ball, pressing, counter-pressing and trying to suffocate Liverpool whenever possession was lost.

Wissa was at the heart of that.

But what made his performance particularly encouraging was that the running never came at the expense of quality.

He drifted into pockets of space that Liverpool's midfield struggled to control, linked play intelligently and repeatedly looked to turn possession into something dangerous. That was shown by his magnificent burst and pass to set up Joe Willock's goal that made it 2-1.

The Liverpool draw felt like a statement of intent from Newcastle under their new manager. But within the chaos of a 2-2 classic, Wissa's performance may have been the most interesting subplot.
Lewis Jones

Villa's mounting problems exposed by Brighton

The Aston Villa fans began their afternoon on the south coast in fine voice. They weren't shy in singing and reminding everyone about being champions of Europe but that bravado would have quickly turned to concern after four Brighton goals in 31 first-half minutes left them shell-shocked.

Villa arrived at the Amex Stadium having sold a host of star names since last season's Europa League triumph and they started the game without a recognised striker amid transfer speculation surrounding the absent Ollie Watkins.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was also missing from the matchday squad amid talk he and Watkins will join Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers through the exit door.

What was left behind struggled at the Amex. Pau Torres and Victor Lindelof looked uncertain at the back, while Joao Gomes suffered a nightmare debut, being shown a straight red card. They also lacked a focal point in the absence of Watkins as they tasked Emiliano Buendia, Ross Barkley and full debutant George Hemmings with leading the line.

The mauling at Brighton only heightens Villa's need to get their squad in shape ahead of the transfer deadline on Tuesday September 1, with the speculation an unwelcome distraction for Unai Emery.
Oliver Yew

The Brighton show rolls on...

Brighton just always find a way.

Fabian Hurzeler's side have had a summer overhaul of their own, losing key players and with further departures set to come, it's been a testing time down on the south coast.

Hurzeler has already had to say goodbye to Danny Welbeck, Jan Paul van Hecke, Joel Veltman and James Milner, to name just a few players, while Carlos Baleba and Yakubu Minteh could also be on their way out before the transfer window closes.

But like they have done time and time again in recent seasons, Brighton coped.

Not only did they cope, the 4-0 win over Aston Villa provided a statement of intent for this season with a performance full of intensity as the Brighton show gets set to roll on.
Oliver Yew