Haaland Is Back at Manchester City After the World Cup, but Maresca Has a Lesson to Learn From England

Seven goals at a World Cup, and a single image that sums it all up: when England managed to cut off his supply in the quarterfinals, Erling Haaland disappeared from the match. That image, more than the goals, is the one Enzo Maresca should keep pinned in his mind as he begins his first full season as Manchester City manager.

Haaland returns to Manchester after starring in the biggest tournament of his career with Norway. He led his national team to the quarterfinals, scored decisive goals against Brazil, and became one of the standout figures of the World Cup. But the match against England left a clear lesson: cut off his passing lanes, and his influence drops significantly.

Maresca already knows this. He arrived at City after Pep Guardiola's departure with the job of building his own identity on top of a structure that carried the Catalan's stamp for years, and his first serious test did not go well: a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield. Even so, Haaland's standing within the project is not in question. He is under contract through 2034 and remains, without question, the team's primary attacking reference point.

Maresca himself was direct when asked about the Norwegian's return:

With Erling we can be even more dangerous.Enzo Maresca

What City Looked Like Without Him in Preseason

Since the World Cup ran later for him, Haaland joined the group after everyone else. That gave a look at a different City, with other names stepping up in attack. The partnership between Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush stood out most: in the friendly against Atletico Madrid, Marmoush scored twice, both goals set up by Semenyo, who closed out the Asia tour with four assists in three matches, including the 3-1 win that wrapped up preparations.

Maresca left satisfied, though with work still to do:

We need to be clinical. That's something we need to improve.Enzo Maresca

That's where Haaland comes in. Few strikers in the world finish the chances created by players like Semenyo or Marmoush as efficiently as he does. Add in the variety brought by Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki, and City has more ways to get the ball into the box than in previous seasons.

The Real Challenge Isn't Haaland, It's What Surrounds Him

Maresca doesn't need to reinvent his striker. Haaland's strength remains attacking space, pinning center backs, and popping up near goal. What the Italian manager does need to solve is how to keep the paths to Haaland from depending on a single route, something England exploited at the World Cup and that any Premier League or Champions League opponent will try to repeat.

The structure Maresca tends to favor, with variations off a 4-2-3-1 and fullbacks tucking inside during possession, can force opposing defenses to spread their marking and open up more space for the Norwegian near the box. Against Arsenal he still looked out of rhythm, understandable after such a demanding tournament, and the idea is for that adjustment to come as matches pile up.

Haaland's role in the project seems settled: he will remain the number nine and the main finisher. The real transformation, the one that could make the difference compared to the Guardiola era, will come down to the players around him and how quickly the team can get him the ball.