Enzo Maresca has suggested that Manchester City’s limited pre-season preparation contributed significantly to their disappointing Community Shield defeat to Arsenal.
City started the match with four players who had not featured in any of the club’s pre-season fixtures, leaving them short of competitive minutes compared with their opponents.
Speaking to Sky Sports Premier League on Thursday, Maresca said the lack of match fitness affected City’s ability to establish their rhythm against an Arsenal side that appeared sharper from the outset.
Arsenal made their advantage count almost immediately, scoring after just 24 seconds and putting City under pressure before they could settle into the game.
The Gunners went on to control much of the contest and eventually secured a convincing 3-0 victory.
Maresca said the difference in preparation was particularly evident because several City players were thrust directly into a high-intensity competitive fixture without having built up match fitness during pre-season.
“We started with four players in the starting XI who did not play one minute in pre-season, while at Arsenal, all 11 players had played minutes before the game. The physical condition was completely different between us and them.”
According to Maresca, the Community Shield highlighted the importance of adequate preparation, match fitness and team familiarity ahead of the new campaign.
