The Press v The Box: Why Iraola Has Never Beaten Maresca | Liverpool v Man City Tactics

Andoni Iraola has faced Enzo Maresca four times in the Premier League. He has never won. On Sunday 11 October 2026 they meet again: Iraola's Liverpool against Maresca's Manchester City, at Anfield. One of the most aggressive pressing coaches in England against a team that has won all five of its league games. We break down both coaches with the numbers (PPDA, high turnovers, expected goals, Opta's expected points), the problem an inverted full-back creates for a man-to-man press, and the three things that decide Sunday. Chapters 0:00 Iraola v Maresca 0:32 Iraola: the presser 2:45 Maresca: not quite Guardiola 4:25 City's perfect start, under the hood 4:54 New faces 5:17 Where the press meets the box 6:20 The head-to-head 6:51 What decides Sunday Sources Premier League (Opta): Bournemouth's press, 23 Jan 2025; Liverpool under Iraola, 4 Jun 2026; Man City under Maresca, 29 Jun 2026; one stat per club, 1 Oct 2026 The Analyst (Opta): perfect starts and title races, 30 Sep 2026; Liverpool squad audit, 12 Aug 2026 Read Man City, 23 Sep 2026, citing Opta's expected points Liverpool FC: Iraola appointed, 4 Jun 2026; Al Jazeera and Sky Sports: Maresca appointed, Jun 2026; Gulf News: Club World Cup final, 2025 ESPN, NBC Sports, Express & Star (PA), Outlook India, The Hard Tackle: Iraola v Maresca meetings Wikipedia: Andoni Iraola; Enzo Maresca; 2025-26 AFC Bournemouth season; 2026-27 Premier League beIN Sports, 6 Aug 2026: Salah signs for Trabzonspor; Yahoo Sports and Manchester City: summer 2026 signings Figures are as of 1 October 2026. Narration is AI-generated; graphics are drawn by Pitch Theory. Subscribe for a tactical breakdown before every big fixture: @PitchTheories #LIVMCI #Liverpool #ManCity #Tactics #PitchTheory