Joe Hart reveals Man City's biggest challenge after Pep Guardiola exit as Arsenal prepare for 'champion scrutiny'
Managing internal expectations at the Etihad
Manchester City are entering a brave new world following the conclusion of Guardiola’s historic, trophy-laden tenure at the Etihad Stadium. The arrival of Enzo Maresca marks a significant shift in the club's hierarchy, but former City stopper Hart believes the hierarchy will be pragmatic about the immediate future.
Despite a disappointing 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, Hart suggests that the club will not be over-burdening their new Italian coach with impossible demands while the squad undergoes a natural evolution.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Hart said: "I think the club isn't heaping massive expectation on this season. I think they still believe that they've got the team and they've got the quality to challenge. I still feel they'll want to be pushing on all fronts. But the same sort of pressure, as an organisation, I don't think will be on this season. I don't think they're going to be put under that pressure internally."
The external noise facing Maresca
Maresca inherits a side that dominated English football for nearly a decade, and any slip in standards will be met with immediate criticism. The club is currently navigating a complex transfer window, with talks ongoing for Lille’s 18-year-old talent Ayyoub Bouaddi in a deal worth £85.6m, alongside continued interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.
Hart warned that the narrative around the club could shift rapidly if results do not go Maresca's way in the opening weeks of the Premier League campaign. "Externally, there's always going to be the noise," Hart noted. "Maresca will come immediately under fire in terms of how people want to jump all over Man City if they do struggle."
"Internally, I think they're intelligent enough as a business to understand that what's going on right now is going to be difficult."
Arsenal and the weight of the crown
The conversation also turned to City’s main rivals, Arsenal, who have finally usurped the Manchester side to claim the throne. Having watched City win four consecutive titles between 2021 and 2024, Mikel Arteta’s side are now the ones with the targets on their backs.
Hart, who was part of the City sides that failed to defend their titles in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons, warned that the Gunners are about to experience a level of scrutiny they have never faced before.
Reflecting on his own experiences during his peak years at the Etihad, Hart admitted that success can often lead to a false sense of security that is quickly shattered by the realities of the Premier League. "I was walking on water at that time. I actually thought I was 'that guy'," Hart admitted.
He added: "And football finds a way, really quickly, of showing you that you're not. And when things started to unravel, which they will in any season, they seemed to really unravel because all of a sudden you're under that kind of champion scrutiny."
The challenge of staying at the top
The prevailing sentiment from Hart is that while reaching the pinnacle of English football is an incredible achievement, the true test of a great team is their longevity. "It's really important how Arsenal are going to handle that, but Mikel Arteta has done a brilliant job, and he makes really big decisions and bold decisions. And it's about how you handle that first hurt. It's ironic that getting to the top is the easy thing, it really is," Hart concluded.
