In Premier League Round 4, Man City with 10 men defeated Manchester United 1-0 away. After the match, Man City manager Enzo Maresca attended a press conference to answer questions from the media. Below is the first half of the press conference.

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Enzo, congratulations on the win. There were two controversial moments at the core of this match: a red card and a goal. Man United is clearly very unhappy about that goal. Can you share your view on the offside decision? More importantly, what do you think about Foden's red card?

I think Foden's red card is a red card, but I also think that in the same incident, Bruno Fernandes should have also received a red card. Regarding the goal, the fourth official immediately told me that Erling (Haaland) was not in an offside position; they only checked whether there was any interference, so I have nothing more to say about our goal.

Regarding the controversy over whether Enzo interfered with Lisandro Martínez's ability to play the ball... Lisandro Martínez called it "unfair," but clearly you believe he did not interfere, correct? He did not affect the play?

Yes, that's correct. I think Erling was not in an offside position, and Enzo did not interfere with the play.

It's rare for a head coach to publicly admit that his own player deserved to be sent off, but you're saying Bruno Fernandes should also have been sent off. If Bruno Fernandes had also been sent off, would you still be angry?

Yes, I think when reviewing the incident, right after the red card, I watched the replay on the bench monitor, and Foden's action was clearly a red card because he retaliated. But you can also see Bruno Fernandes' action and intent in the same incident. So for me, yes, Foden deserved the red card, but Bruno Fernandes should also have been sent off.

Given the situation on the pitch, playing with one fewer player from very early on, and away against Man United, what does this win mean to you? What were your concerns when you went down to 10 men in the first 20 minutes?

Yes, last year when I arrived here with Chelsea, we received a red card in the first 3 minutes. Hopefully next time we can play 11 versus 11 for the entire match. Yes, we had a tactical plan for 11 versus 11, but it changed completely after the red card. I think after losing a player, the match became more difficult for us, but it also became equally difficult for them, because they are a team with a big counter-attacking threat and they like to exploit spaces behind the defense. With one fewer player, we sat deep and waited for them to push up, so we didn't give them any counter-attacking opportunities or any spaces behind. That's why I think the match became harder for us, but also harder for them.

Enzo, Rayan Cherki's performance in the second half must have pleased you greatly, both in terms of regaining possession and ball retention?

Yes, absolutely. Rayan Cherki is an excellent player, but at that moment we needed certain different qualities. We needed a player who could win the ball and launch counter-attacks. The idea for the second half was to have Iliman Ndiaye on one side, another player on the other side, and Erling in the middle. When we had attacking opportunities, we had to attack decisively; we couldn't just defend. And I think given that we were playing with 10 men, the whole team did very well controlling the ball in the second half.

You have lost experienced veterans like Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones, but you seem to have brought in players during the transfer window who also possess that kind of steel and outstanding technical ability.

Yes, that's why they're here, and that's why the club made a huge effort to sign them, because they are all expensive players. Ayoub Bouaddi came off the bench, but I have to say that Elliott and Enzo were both excellent today.

Even when down a player, you refused to employ a passive defensive approach, always keeping strikers up front, and even made forward substitutions in the first half. Is this because you want Man City to play in this style... which is very difficult when playing with 10 men, but you still chose to embrace the challenge. Is this your coaching philosophy?

Yes, absolutely. Because I think if we only defended in the second half without counter-attacking, without attacking them when we had the chance, the match would become extremely difficult for us, even harder than it already was. I think by having Iliman on one side, another player on the other side, and Erling up front, we can create a threat whenever we have an attacking opportunity.

Enzo, can you share with us about your final celebration? Clearly you were very emotional. Although this was only the opening match of the season, it seemed to have special significance.

No, again, last year we played with one fewer player here, received a red card in the first two or three minutes; this season we received a red card early again, so the emotion was truly released at that moment. I think winning a match with 10 men in itself is extraordinary, and when it's a derby, a Manchester derby, it means even more to the fans, the club, the players, and the coaching staff. It's just... I don't know if "a normal reaction" is the right way to describe it, but it really was a genuine expression of emotion.

I want to ask about the situation at halftime. What was the atmosphere in the changing room like? Because they knew they would have to play with 10 men for most of the second half. What did you tell them at halftime?

My message to the players at halftime was: this match has become genuinely harder for us, but it has also become harder for them. So believe that we can win this match, because as I said, they are good at transitioning and attacking into spaces behind the defense. With one fewer player, we sit deep, so we won't give them spaces to transition and attack behind. So the match is not only harder for us, but also more challenging for them. Stay focused, stay solid in the match, and ultimately we will win this.

Following up on that question, did you feel at that point that if Man United didn't score for a long period in the second half, the atmosphere at Old Trafford would become very anxious, and Man United would struggle to play the way they wanted, because with a one-player advantage, one would naturally expect them to win?

Yes, but I think that's not just at this stadium, but at any stadium. When fans see their team playing 11 versus 10, they always want to see more goals, pushing forward over and over. So I don't think this is unique to Old Trafford; it's a general rule that when you have an 11-versus-10 advantage, the entire crowd will urge the team to attack with all their might.

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