Under Maresca, City have won each of their opening five Premier League fixtures so far this season as they sit perched at the top of the table above champions Arsenal and sixth-placed Liverpool.
Liverpool come into this clash off the back of four wins across their last five matches in all competitions.
They are unbeaten in the league under Andoni Iraola, who will hope that Anfield will play a role in helping to beat City on Sunday afternoon.
Maresca may stay if Man City are relegated
Addressing the media ahead of the clash, attention was on the charges brought against the club in what has been the hottest topic over the past month. Asked if he trusts the club and if he would stay if they were relegated, Maresca suggested he would remain loyal to the side.
"First of all morning, I understand the reason why most of you are here, there is a process ongoing, I completely trust the club. I trust the club and I trust the people, that is why I joined the club. There is no other club where I would like to be.
Manchester City's financial scandal
Manchester City were found guilty by the Premier League on September 29th of all charges relating to serious breaches of the league's financial rules over nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, as well as the majority of charges concerning their failure to co-operate with the probe.
City were originally charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation into the breaches. The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing and formally appealed on October 1st.
"This is the first time I have seen you, I am always concerned. I know Anfield is a nice pitch and the reason I came to this club is for this kind of game.
"I last spoke to Pep (Guardiola) after the United game. Always a pleasure, he can come any time he wants. It will be nice for him, fans and everyone.
Would he walk away: "I will speak about this when we win the appeal. No sense to speak about anything. I understand why you are here because you want to hear something."
Would he stay after relegation: "I won the Championship with Leicester, League One we will see."
Liverpool will be a tough test
After several media trained responses towards questions based on the charges, Maresca commented on the clash ahead in what will be a tough test away from home for his City side.
"It will be a tough game, tough test. We need to be ready. The focus has to be about the team, it may be even worse because of the situation. They can absolutely face the pressure, we have players who have faced similar. We have Enzo Fernandez, in Argentina it is like this every game.
"It is a matter of being together, stick together. In this moment, this is the situation, the noise. We are on the same page. As I say yesterday, we need our fans and hopefully we can celebrate a win. Ruben and Erling need to handle the pressure. Yes the noise is there, they go home happy and are top of the league."
Haaland returns
Lastly, the Italian coach confirmed Erling Haaland will return to face the Reds in what will be a boost in attack after the Norwegian was forced to pull out of international duty.
"Thank you. He is good. Had a few days off and he is good. It was good to see him, the players are thinking about the national team."
English Premier League
The 2026/27 Premier League season is underway. From reports and analysis to all the big breaking news, Flashscore is your one-stop shop to keep up with all the drama from the world's most-followed football league.
