The arrival of centre-back Guehi for £20m from Crystal Palace in January was seen as a bargain.
But it was his loose pass at Everton at the end of last season that cost City dearly in the title race, drawing and losing momentum against eventual champions Arsenal.
It’s been a difficult season for the England defender, guilty of both goals scored by Ipswich last weekend and being pushed back by John McGinn deep in his own half for Villa’s opening goal.
Later in the half, he brought down Jackson on the edge of the box before receiving a yellow card, and was knocked out of action by being sent off at halftime.
City sources had said they were considering signing a right-back this summer before pivoting elsewhere, saying Abdukodir Khusanov could provide a replacement if Matheus Nunes was unavailable.
Khusanov started wide but struggled before being moved inside in place of Guehi, while Rico Lewis was brought in to fill the void, with Maresca subsequently admitting he needed to “find that balance” in defence.
Villa supporters have constantly reminded traveling fans that their team are “cheaters”, and the vitriol they have faced following the guilty verdict over the financial charges may be starting to weigh on the players’ minds.
Asked by BBC Sport if Guehi’s form is worrying, Maresca replied: “No, I’m not worried about Marc at all.
“I know he has played every minute since the start of the season with us and the national team, so it is not easy but the change was also due to the fact that he was on a yellow card.
“The way we want to be aggressive sometimes, getting a yellow card can be dangerous but I’m not worried at all.”
Maresca, however, should be worried when they face Fabian Hurzeler’s goalscoring Brighton twice next week – in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and the Premier League on Saturday.
The Italian must fix the defensive leaks before they become something more serious.
Gn sports
