Following a run of two victories in seven European games that threatened City’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League knockout round, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has rallied around Pep Guardiola and stated that the struggling Manchester City manager needed assistance.
After a poor run in the run-up to Christmas, Chelsea will travel to the Premier League champions on Saturday.
They are currently in fifth place in the standings, two points behind Maresca’s team in fourth. With one league game left, City lost 4-2 to Paris St. Germain on Wednesday, wasting a two-goal lead.
They have yet to fully recover from their unexpected downturn and are now outside of the Champions League playoff spots.
“Pep is strong enough in this kind of thing. But for sure, like any human being, he needs support in this moment, for the last eight or nine years, they were always on top,” Maresca told reporters on Friday.
City has to place in the top 24 to maintain their prospects of winning the Champions League, as they currently sit in 25th place.
Throughout his managerial tenure, Guardiola has consistently advanced to the competition’s knockout stage.
Despite their bad play, Maresca predicted that Chelsea would have a hard time defeating City.
Maresca’s team has likewise been in a slump, winning only one of their past six league games while City has won three.
“With this club and these players, when they are in a difficult moment, they want to show how good they are.
“I don’t think there is ever a good moment to play City,” he said.
“It is normal in football to live moments like they are in. For sure, they will be back to winning trophies soon.”
Maresca has been with City for a long time; he was a coach there before departing to become manager of Parma.
He returned to City to serve as Guardiola’s assistant during their treble-winning season in 2022–2023 after being fired by the Italian team, and he expressed his eternal gratitude to the team.
“My relationship with Pep and the club, is fantastic.
“I will always be thankful to City for the trust they showed in me, because they called me back after an Italian club sacked me after two or three months,” he added.
Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill, who missed Monday’s 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at home, may be available, but Maresca confirmed midfielder Romeo Lavia will miss Saturday’s game at City due to injury.