City were shorn of all four of their Euro 2024 finalists – Rodri, Kyle Waker, John Stones and Phil Foden – from the start as Guardiola opted to give them extra time off to recover from their summer exertions.
Yet, the champions were still able to lay down a marker against one of the few sides they failed to beat in the league last season. Maresca has the tough task of moulding a functioning team unit from a bloated Chelsea squad that has 43 players and over 50 on the books including those on loan.
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