Manchester City are entering a completely new era under Enzo Maresca. The legendary Pep Guardiola era has come to an end, and the club are now going through a rebuilding phase under a manager who has inherited enormous expectations. Guardiola not only transformed City into one of the most dominant teams in Premier League history, but his success also turned the club into a huge global brand.
Their influence now extends well beyond the pitch, with their recent collaboration with Puma and A$AP Rocky for limited-edition kits another indication of City's growing worldwide appeal.
However, while the Guardiola era is over, it would be a mistake for Premier League rivals to assume that Manchester City's dominance is over with it.
In fact, after just two Premier League games, there are already signs that Enzo Maresca's Manchester City could become a scary force in English football.
From Community Shield humiliation to a statement comeback
Things could hardly have started worse for Maresca.
Manchester City suffered a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Community Shield, immediately giving Premier League fans plenty of ammunition. The performance attracted heavy criticism, while sections of rival fanbases were already trolling the new City manager.
Some even went as far as suggesting that Maresca could become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season.
At the time, those reactions might have seemed understandable. The city looked vulnerable, the Guardiola era had officially ended, and Maresca was facing the enormous task of rebuilding a team that had dominated English football for years.
But fast forward to the opening weeks of the season, and the picture looks very different.
Manchester City's first Premier League game under Maresca provided perhaps the first major indication that the mentality built during Guardiola's reign has not disappeared.
The city were involved in a difficult contest against Bournemouth, where they looked close to falling behind again. At one point, it appeared that another poor result could pile even more pressure on Maresca. Instead, Manchester City produced a huge comeback to win the game 2-1.
That comeback was significant for more than just the three points.
It showed that the winning mentality instilled during the Guardiola era is still alive inside this Manchester City squad.
Guardiola may no longer be standing on the touchline, but the mentality he spent years building remains deeply embedded in the players.
Manchester City suddenly looks like Old Manchester City again
If the comeback demonstrated character, City's second Premier League game under Maresca demonstrated something even more frightening: dominance.
Against Crystal Palace, Manchester City returned to the kind of football that Premier League teams have become accustomed to seeing from them.
They won 4-1, controlled the game and produced an emphatic attacking performance, with Erling Haaland scoring twice.
For rival teams, however, the most worrying aspect of these opening matches is not simply the results.
It is how good City have looked despite not yet having their strongest possible midfield.
The city's makeshift midfield is the scary part
Midfield is arguably where Premier League matches are won and lost, particularly for a team like Manchester City that wants to control possession, dictate tempo and dominate territory.
Yet Maresca has not even had the luxury of using his ideal midfield combination.
One of City's major summer signings, Bouaddi, had only recently joined the club and was not yet ready to immediately take over his expected role. As a result, City were forced to use a makeshift midfield combination, with Marc Guehi and Elliot Anderson operating in the middle of the pitch.
And despite that, City won their opening league matches.
That should worry every other Premier League manager.
Think about the potential of this team once the new signings properly settle into the system and Maresca can finally select his preferred midfield.
Guehi can return to the defensive position where he is most effective, while the midfield could potentially feature a double pivot of Elliot Anderson and Bouaddi, that's without mentioning their last record-breaking signing of the window, Enzo Fernandez.
Maresca could also deploy a midfield three consisting of Bouaddi, Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, which is simply frightening on paper.
Whichever combination ultimately becomes his preferred setup, it should provide significantly more balance and quality than the makeshift midfield City have been using.
The attacking potential is even more frightening
The same applies to Manchester City's forward line.
With further attacking quality added through their summer business by signing Iliman Ndiaye, City should become even more dangerous once the new players adapt to Maresca's methods and develop an understanding with the existing stars.
Erling Haaland has already started strongly, scoring a brace against Crystal Palace, and if the players around him continue improving, City could eventually become an extremely difficult team to defend against.
The key point is that this Manchester City team has already produced strong results without everything clicking into place.
That is what makes their potential so frightening.
Maresca has inherited Guardiola's foundations
Another major advantage for Maresca is that he is not starting from zero.
He has inherited a squad that spent years learning Guardiola's principles of possession, positional play, pressing and controlling matches.
Maresca therefore has the opportunity to introduce his own ideas while working with a group of players who already understand many of the fundamental principles associated with Guardiola's football.
That synergy could become extremely powerful.
Add City's squad depth, their new signings, the return of players to their best positions and the development of Maresca's tactical system, and the difference between the Manchester City we are seeing now and the Manchester City we could see in a few months could be enormous.
Manchester City could Further strengthen in January
There is another reason why Premier League rivals should not take City lightly.
Manchester City are a club that consistently backs their managers in the transfer market. Their willingness to spend does not necessarily end with the summer window either.
If Maresca identifies weaknesses during the first half of the campaign, there is every possibility that City could look for marquee additions in the January transfer window.
That means the squad we are watching now may not even be the final version of Maresca's Manchester City.
And that is a frightening prospect for the rest of the league.
Arsenal's biggest title challenger?
At this stage, Arsenal look like one of the strongest candidates to regain the Premier League title. Xabi Alonso's Chelsea may arguably be the most exciting team to watch right now, but they have also shown vulnerability defensively and have conceded too many goals.
Manchester City, meanwhile, already looks much more complete across the pitch.
They have attacking quality, midfield depth, defensive options, an elite striker, a winning mentality and a manager who understands many of the principles that made Guardiola's City so successful.
There is still plenty of work for Maresca to do, and it would be premature to call this team unstoppable after only two Premier League matches.
But that is precisely what makes their current situation so interesting.
If Manchester City are already capable of producing these performances with a makeshift midfield and a squad still adapting to a new manager, imagine what they could look like once everything clicks.
The Premier League should be paying attention.
Because the end of the Pep Guardiola era may not represent the end of Manchester City's dominance.
It could simply be the beginning of another one.