'He may well just feel at home' - how Maresca is settling in at Man City

The Manchester derby win is a "big feather in Enzo Maresca's cap", says former Premier League striker Chris Sutton. Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday, despite going down to 10 men midway through the first half, and the victory has helped prove Maresca's tactical credentials. "The most damning thing for United was that you always felt City had more control and were carrying more of a threat," Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "Iliman Ndiaye coming on for Rayan Cherki when Cherki went out on the right - I wouldn't say it was a masterstroke but it was an excellent decision because Cherki is a different type of player. Ndiaye is more of a runner, can get them up the pitch and has that threat. "There was no doubt Manchester City supporters worried about the change from Pep [Guardiola] to Maresca but I think their recruitment has been pretty smart and pretty shrewd and I thought it was a masterclass from them. "I'm not saying it suited them going down to 10 men, but to play as they did and look the far superior team is a big feather in Maresca's cap." Host Mark Chapman also suggested Maresca appears more relaxed than he did during his time in charge at Chelsea , and The Observer's Rory Smith believes the Italian must "feel at home". Smith said: "Maresca lost his job at Chelsea because he told them he'd been speaking to City, which means eight, nine months ago, City knew they wanted him to replace Guardiola. That is a pretty big vote of confidence. "It means he's probably in a place where he feels wanted and valued and it's a place he knows." Listen to the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds [BBC]