"There's Something We Need to Do Better" - Enzo Maresca Vows to Resolve Manchester City's Problems in International Break

"There's Something We Need to Do Better" - Enzo Maresca Vows to Resolve Manchester City's Problems in International Break A trip to the City Ground was always likely to be a physical test for Enzo Maresca's side, but the evening proved a frustrating one. City fell two goals behind inside the first half, an early strike from Jair Cunha followed by a finish from former academy striker Liam Delap, and though Rayan Cherki pulled one back shortly after the break, Delap added his second to seal a 3-1 win for the hosts. The result was a third straight Premier League defeat for Manchester City - after recent losses to Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion - that leaves the club six points behind leaders Arsenal heading into the international break. In his post-match press conference, Maresca addressed the team's problems head-on and admitted that his squad must make the most of the two-week pause if they are to hit the ground running when domestic football returns. Analysing the problems behind recent defeats Maresca pointed to a familiar pattern in recent weeks: plenty of possession and shots, but nothing to show for it. Despite controlling long spells and possessional dominance at the City Ground, lapses in transition cost Manchester City dearly against Nottingham Forest . "No, they are all different in terms of if you see chances, possession, shots, touches inside the box," Maresca said. "All three games we were much, much better but we lost all of them. So there is something that, for sure, we need to do better." Finding ways to eliminate those defensive errors and win more physical battles will undoubtedly be a main focus for the coaching staff over the next fortnight at the City Football Academy. With this international break representing the last pause in the domestic calendar until March, the two-week window is a good chance to review where things have gone wrong since the dominant win at Anfield. That clean sheet in Liverpool was City’s most recent - they have conceded in every one of the eight matches since, at an average rate of more than two goals a game. Tightening up at the back will be key as Manchester City prepare for a busy run of winter fixtures across domestic and European competitions. Trips to face Arsenal and Barcelona are looming. "We're going to use this international break to try to clarify what we can do better," Maresca added. "We know that we do some things better, and also we know that we need to improve things. So we're going to use that, and try to understand how we can avoid these kind of games. "When you lose a game, you want always to go again immediately to try to win games," Maresca added. "But I think this international break, also because it's the last one until March, it's also good for the players. And when we come back, try to win games." Of course, Maresca and his staff will have to attempt to shore up the defence without most of their players, with a majority of the squad heading away to represent their respective countries.