Enzo Maresca has set a clear tone before Manchester City face Sunderland on Sunday. He said the visitors will be the toughest opponent City have met since the season began, and he wants his rotated players back at full energy for the Premier League game.

Maresca's warning before Sunday

"I have the feeling that the Sunderland game will be the toughest game since we started the season," Maresca said. He had watched three or four of their games in the last few days, including their draw with Arsenal, and said Sunderland were strong enough that they did not deserve to lose that match.

That is a fair warning from a manager whose team have opened the league with 4 wins from 4 and are still treating Sunday as a proper test. Sunderland have taken 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses and sit 19th, but Maresca's point is about the level they have shown rather than the table number beside their name.

He also praised Sunderland as "very strong" and "very well coached", adding that they already have time together and are clear in what they want to do on and off the ball. That is not the language of a manager expecting a routine home win.

Rotation and the return of fresh legs

The selection side matters too. Maresca made ten changes from the derby for the Carabao Cup tie at Norwich, where City thrashed the Championship side 5-0 and 17-year-old Floyd Samba scored twice on debut.

He said, "We gave rest to the ones that played back-to-back 90 minutes against Porto and United." He added that it was important to rest them so they could be full of energy for Sunday's game.

That lines up with the names left out at Norwich. Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol were all omitted, a sign that City were managing workload as much as preserving options. The next league fixture is Manchester City vs Sunderland on 19 September, and Maresca wants a stronger, fresher version of his side for it.

City's perfect league start gives them room to rotate, but it does not make Sunday feel soft. Maresca has watched Sunderland closely enough to label them City's hardest examination so far, and he has already tied that view to the need for a full-energy performance on 19 September.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →