For one half, Marmoush looked like a player still searching for his space. After the break, he looked far more decisive.
That matters. Pre-season can flatter and mislead in equal measure, but it can also offer a clear reminder of what a player does well. Marmoush appears to be most dangerous when the game speeds up in tight areas, when his movement is instinctive rather than overthought.
The issue is not talent. It is pathway.
Marmoush has largely been viewed as cover for Erling Haaland, and that is a difficult role for any ambitious attacker to accept for long. As Maresca put it: “Os jogadores trabalham todos os dias, eles querem jogar, então, quando não jogam, não ficam felizes.”
That is the key line. This is not only about what City want. It is about what the player wants his next season to look like.
Reports suggest Newcastle United could be interested, while Tottenham and Barcelona have also been linked. None of that guarantees an exit, and Maresca was careful not to close the door. “Isso não significa que ele não vá jogar mais minutos aqui, mas também é decisão dele, e ele precisa decidir,” the coach said.
That leaves Marmoush in an intriguing position: wanted enough to matter, but not yet essential enough to be untouchable. The next step is the real story now - whether he backs himself to fight for minutes at Manchester City, or decides that regular football elsewhere is the smarter move before the transfer window shuts.