Maresca has now overseen three defeats in City's last six games across all competitions, after winning each of his first seven Premier League matches in charge following his arrival as the successor to Pep Guardiola in June.
The run began with a 4-2 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on 14 October, before the Blues responded with a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town and a 5-1 victory over AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium.
A 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa followed on 24 October, with two goals from Nicolas Jackson ending the seven-match winning start, before Maresca rotated his side for a 2-2 Carabao Cup draw with Brighton that the holders won 4-3 on penalties.
Fabian Hürzeler's side returned to the Etihad Stadium three days later and won through an 11th-minute goal from Yasin Ayari, who swept home after Lewis Dunk took a quick free-kick, inflicting back-to-back league defeats on Manchester City for the first time since August 2025.
All of it has come against the backdrop of an independent commission's guilty verdict on 114 of 115 charges, with the club lodging a comprehensive appeal at 7pm on 1 October.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Maresca was asked about the mood in the dressing room after the defeat to Brighton. "For sure, we're not happy; the players, me, coaching staff, the club - no one is happy when we lose, at all, for sure," the Manchester City manager said.
"But we were aware we were not going to win all the games, so this kind of moment has arrived and we need just to try to improve things, move on, and try to win games as soon as possible."
The defeat was Brighton's first away win over City in any competition at the 18th attempt, and their first league win at the Etihad Stadium, with Ayari's strike his third Premier League goal of the season.
The Manchester City boss was then asked about his own feelings after the result, which gives Arsenal to go top of the Premier League table if they avoid defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
"It's a very similar feeling to what we had after Aston Villa," Maresca added. "Unfortunately, we created enough to get some points, but didn't score. In this moment, it's like this.
"I think today, again, we did enough to deserve something, but in this moment we need to move on and try to win games."
Brighton could have doubled their lead less than two minutes after the restart when Maxim De Cuyper missed a clear opportunity, and Jack Hinshelwood later struck the side netting as the visitors kept up the pressure on Manchester City 's defence.
The result also handed Hürzeler's side their sixth clean sheet of the Premier League campaign, which is the highest total in the division, as Brighton moved to within two points of the leaders.
Iliman Ndiaye, who had been cleared to return after missing the cup tie, saw a fierce effort in the 52nd minute turned onto the post by Bart Verbruggen, whilst Nico O'Reilly later headed a rebound against the woodwork after Abdukodir Khusanov had tested the goalkeeper.
Rayan Cherki came off the bench in place of Ayyoub Bouaddi and created chances for Enzo Fernandez and Matheus Nunes, although Dunk blocked Erling Haaland's clearest opening before the interval and neither substitute Phil Foden nor Allan Elias could find an equaliser.
Antoine Semenyo remains the only absentee in the squad as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, with the winger having been ruled out for around eight weeks after October's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town.
Manchester City will soon travel to Germany to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday night at the Red Bull Arena, before a Premier League trip to face Nottingham Forest ahead of the November international break.
