Why Enzo Maresca Substituted Marc Guehi And Josko Gvardiol at Half-Time in Nottingham Forest Defeat

Why Enzo Maresca Substituted Marc Guehi And Josko Gvardiol at Half-Time in Nottingham Forest Defeat City became the first top-flight side since Sheffield Wednesday in the 1904-05 season to lose three straight league games immediately after winning seven to start their first campaign under Maresca. The defeat was the third league game in a row in which Manchester City conceded early, after losses to Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion , with Maresca having criticised his side's lack of intensity after the final whistle. Maresca watched his side fall behind inside six minutes at the City Ground, when Jair Cunha won the ball from Gvardiol, drove to the edge of the area and finished into the far corner for his first goal for Nottingham Forest . Liam Delap doubled the lead before the interval after a mix-up between Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson allowed the striker to run from the centre circle and strike into the top corner, with Guehi and Dias unable to thwart the City academy graduate. Rayan Cherki pulled one back for Manchester City seven minutes after the restart with a half-volley from the edge of the area, before Delap sealed the win in the 73rd minute after a return pass from Morgan Gibbs-White, leaving the Blues six points behind leaders Arsenal going into the international break. Speaking in his post-match press conference at the City Ground, Maresca was asked about the decision to take off Gvardiol and Guehi at the interval. "Both injury, both asked for change. Marc Guehi injury and Josko Gvardiol had some issues already during the week. So it was just because they had problems," the Italian said. Matheus Nunes replaced Guehi at half-time, whilst Nico O'Reilly came on for Gvardiol despite Maresca having raised a fitness concern over the 21-year-old on Friday, after a back problem kept him out of the November England squad. The wider context for Gvardiol and Guehi Gvardiol had been an unused substitute in the 3-2 UEFA Champions League win at RB Leipzig last week, with City having gone into the weekend with Antoine Semenyo as the only confirmed absentee from Maresca's squad. It was the second time in three Premier League games that Guehi had been withdrawn at the interval, after the England international was also replaced at half-time at Villa Park when his loose touch led to Nicolas Jackson's opener, whilst the extent of both defenders' problems remains to be seen. City return to action against Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on November 21, before hosting Napoli in the Champions League three days later and travelling to face Arsenal in north London on November 29, all against the backdrop of the independent commission  guilty verdict and subsequent appeal lodged by Manchester City .