Enzo Maresca explains Phil Foden substitution as City loose Midfield battle… See more

Enzo Maresca has defended his bold half-time changes after Manchester City struggled to control midfield against Aston Villa.

Trailing early, Maresca replaced Rayan Cherki with Phil Foden, choosing creativity over Ayyoub Bouaddi. He explained that City needed a more technical midfielder to change the game.

However, the move failed to solve City’s midfield problems as Villa continued to win key battles.

Maresca still backed Bouaddi to play an important role in the coming matches, with City now preparing for their Carabao Cup clash against Brighton.