Chelsea were a match for City in most aspects of the game, with only four per cent possession and one shot separating the sides across the 90 minutes, with the Blues even having a superior xG of 1.23 compared to 0.82.

City left with all three points after Bernando Silva’s toe-poke led to Erling Haaland opening the scoring on 18 minutes, following a lengthy VAR check, and Mateo Kovacic scored a long-range second late on.

On the other hand, Nicolas Jackson had a goal chalked out following a VAR check, Ederson made another point-blank save to deny the striker and Pedro Neto would have scored a goal on debut had it not been for a superb clearance by Rico Lewis, not to mention there were penalty appeals in either half.

Maresca said: ‘I thought our performance was good. We don’t like to lose but I thought the performance was there. We competed against the best team in the world and we competed for large parts at the same level and in some moments were even better.

‘We created chances and I think the big difference between us and them was especially in the box and the way they managed the ball in the last parts of the game but they are masters at that.

‘Overall, I think our performance was quite good.’

Maresca has been working with his players for six weeks following his appointment as head coach, whereas his opposite number, Pep Guardiola, has just entered his eighth season in charge of City.

For that reason, our new boss has spoken throughout the summer about the need to steadily improve each day and with every match as he looks to build his distinctive style of play.

He continued: ‘I think today we were better than the last game, against Inter Milan, and I think that this is the most important thing – to improve game-by-game.

‘For me, it is very clear that we are improving and the direction is the right direction.

‘I said the other day that I didn’t expect the team to already be this [far] ahead so the direction is a good one and I don’t have any doubt that day by day we are getting better and we are going to have days where we win games and we will be happier.’

The Blues boss was able to hand Cole Palmer and Jackson their first starts of the summer, following their return from Euro 2024 and injury respectively, whilst there were also competitive debuts from the bench for summer signings Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Renato Veiga.

It meant Palmer, Jackson and Nkunku were able to start alongside each other for the first time under Maresca, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez also in the XI alongside Romeo Lavia after the pair’s Copa America campaigns.

Maresca said: ‘The reason [this was the attacking trio’s] first game together was because Nico was injured and Cole was not with us, whereas Christo was with us since day one. I think all of them did a good game.

‘We have used Christo already in different positions but I think all of them, even Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo…I think they all did a good game.’