Man City win in front 20,000 empty seats at the Etihad as Enzo Maresca speaks out

· Mirror

Manchester City saw off AEK Athens in front of an Etihad crowd that had pockets of empty seats, prompting Enzo Maresca to comment on the drop in attendance

Manchester City hammered AEK Athens on Tuesday night but the post-match talk was dominated by the rafts of empty seats at the Etihad Stadium, which was only two thirds full.

The Premier League leaders made light work of the Greek side to get back to winning ways in Europe, but they've never had a great relationship with UEFA's competition and their mild support has made headlines.

After continued renovation, the Etihad now boasts a capacity of 61,038, and yet the official attendance was a mere 40,024. That came as no surprise with the match action often showing pockets of empty blue seats whilst large parts of the upper tier remained unsold. The match was City's third at home in seven days following defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and victory over Ipswich.

It must also be said that AEK Athens are not the biggest sell on the fixture list, with City always expected to win relatively comfortably, which they did thanks to a Phil Foden hat-trick. He scored three in their 5-1 success with Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also getting in on the act.

City fans have been known to boo the UEFA anthem such is their frosty relationship with the Champions League, which they won in 2023 as part of their historic treble.

Enzo Maresca wasn't concerned by the attendance, however, and told reporters after the game: “I think the ones in the stadium were good. The last game against Ipswich they were top and next week two games against Brighton and I’ve no doubt the environment will be good again.”

City fans have rallied recently in light of the guilty verdict, which was handed down by an independent panel and now threatens their place in the Premier League. An appeal has been lodged, but a major points deduction and relegation remains on the cards.

Amid accusations of cheating during a nine-year period that spanned from 2009 to 2018, City have come out fighting and their fans have waved large inflatable bananas during games, which stems back to the 1980s when fans took them to games following relegation.

City remain perfect in the Premier League, winning seven from seven to boast a three point lead over Arsenal in second. Maresca's side face a challenging trip to Aston Villa at the weekend, they've lost their last three visits to Villa Park.

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