Manchester City Detailed Season Preview: Insights and Predictions

Where Did Manchester City Finish Last Season?

Man City pre-season plan could lead to radical tactical changes#MCFC https://t.co/RymSikkgEU

— Manchester City News (@ManCityMEN) July 13, 2025

Despite finishing third last campaign, and claiming yet another year of Champions League football in the process, 2025/26 feels like a make or break season for Manchester City, in particular for Pep Guardiola.

Though boasting a star-studded squad fresh off the back of winning a fourth league title on the bounce, the Cityzens hit a rotten patch of form at the end of October which derailed their entire season - they won just twice in 14 matches across all competitions, a run which sent English football into shock. Not since 2015/16 had the reigning champions (on that occasion Chelsea) failed to defend their title so spectacularly, and had you predicted last year that City would underperform in 2024/25, you would have received more than just a laugh in the face.

It also ended as the club's first trophyless season since Guardiola’s first in charge, in 2016/17 (no City fans, the Community Shield does NOT count), as City saw the FA Cup slide from their grasp against a magnificent Crystal Palace side. Since his arrival in Manchester, the Spanish master has crafted a reputation for himself as one of the best managers to ever live, bringing in world-class players in every position, and getting the most out of each and every member of his squad. 2024/25 shattered that illusion, proving that even the most successful of individuals are flawed.

Completing four signings before or during their ultimately Club World Cup, it is clear that Guardiola is eager to avoid a repeat - after years of seemingly un-ending domination, age or lack of motivation seem to have finally caught up to City’s squad. Now is the perfect time to give the team a facelift.

Best Result: Ipswich Town 0-6 Manchester City (Foden 27’, 42’, Kovacic 30’, Doku 49’, Haaland 57’, McAtee 69’)

Worst Result: Arsenal 5-1 Manchester City (Odegaard 2’, Partey 56’, Lewis-Skelly 62’, Havertz 76’, Nwaneri 90+3’; Haaland 55’)

Who Have Manchester City Signed in the Summer Transfer Window So Far?

Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan - £46.3 Million

Tijjani Reijnders completes his move to Manchester City! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SiMzx1hgmW

— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 11, 2025

Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves - £32 Million + £2.5 Million Add Ons

Rayan Cherki from Lyon - £31 Million

James Trafford from Burnley - £27 Million

Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG - £26 Million

Sverre Nypan from Rosenberg - £12.5 Million

Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea - £2 Million

Caelen Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday - Undisclosed Fee

Total Spent: £176.8 Million + £2.5 Million in Potential Add Ons

Who Have Manchester City Sold in the Summer Transfer Window So Far?

James McAtee to Nottingham Forest - £22 Million + £8 Million Add Ons

Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund - Loan made permanent for £25 Million

Maximo Perrone to Como - £13 Million

Ederson to Fenerbahce - £12.1 Million

Callum Doyle to Wrexham - £7.5 Million

Jacob Wright to Norwich City - £2.3 Million

True Grant to Stoke City - Undisclosed Fee

Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli - Free Transfer

Luca Fletcher to Ipswich Town - Season long loan with Obligation to Buy

Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen - Season long loan

Lakyle Samuel to Bromley - Season long loan

Issa Kabore to Wrexham - Season long loan

Juma Bah to OGC Nice - Season Long Loan

Sverre Nypan to Middlesbrough - Season long loan

Joal Ndala to Hull City - Season long loan

Will Dixon to Chesterfield - Season long loan

Divin Mubama to Stoke City - Season long loan

Max Alleyne to Watford - Season long loan

Finley Burns to Reading - Season long loan

Scott Carson - Released

Total Received: £81.6 Million + £8 Million in Potential Add Ons

Manchester City 2025/26 Squad List

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Stefan Ortega, Marcus Bettinelli, James Trafford.

Defenders: Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rico Lewis, Vitor Reis.

Midfielders: Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez, Bernardo Silva, Nico O'Reilly.

Attackers: Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb.

Manchester City 2025/26 Home, Away and Third Kits

Our 25/26 Home Kit has arrived 🤩

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 13, 2025

𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: #ManCity have dropped their 25/26 away kit. ◼️◽️

🛍️ SHOP NOW: https://t.co/YqyzrhhaMv pic.twitter.com/pb2RbEMDGS

— City Report (@cityreport_) July 18, 2025

#ManCity’s 25/26 third kit has just dropped. 🌧️🟢

🛍️ SHOP NOW: https://t.co/Ltn51kHpYY pic.twitter.com/k1cQvSUGVg

— City Report (@cityreport_) August 14, 2025

What is Manchester City’s First Premier League Fixture?

Wolves vs Manchester City | Molineux, Wolverhampton | Saturday, August 16th, 17:30

How Can I Watch Wolves vs Manchester City?

Manchester City’s opening clash with Wolves is set to be shown on Sky Sports. While it is not clear which Sky channel the game will be broadcasted on yet, it is likely to air on either Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Premier League.

What Are Manchester City’s Opening Five Fixtures?

Wolves vs Manchester City - Saturday, August 16th.

Manchester City vs Tottenham - Saturday, August 23rd.

Brighton and Hove Albion vs Manchester City - Sunday, August 31st.

Manchester City vs Manchester United - Sunday, September 14th.

Arsenal vs Manchester City - Sunday, September 21st.

When Do Manchester City Play Rivals Manchester United in 2025/26?

One of the most famous derbies in the game of football, the battle between the red and blue sides of Manchester always delivers. With a history of great matches, greater players and the greatest drama, you don’t want to miss either installment of the Manchester Derby this season.

Manchester City vs Manchester United - Sunday September 14th.

Manchester United vs Manchester City - TBC.

Last Five Meetings:

• 06/04/2025: Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City.
• 15/12/2024: Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United.
• 10/08/2024: Manchester City p1-1 Manchester United.
• 25/05/2024: Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United.
• 03/03/2024: Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United.

Who is Manchester City’s Manager for 2025/26?

🔵According to Pep Guardiola the current Manchester City team is well equipped to win the Premier League 2025-26. He expects no more signing from the club as he wants a small squad.

[Update] The manager is happy to have Nunes as our Right back this coming season. pic.twitter.com/jRbPf50Q6e

— Viana. (@counterpunch__) July 15, 2025

Last season certainly provided a unique experience for Pep Guardiola. Just the second trophyless season of his career, he was the picture of frustration in the dugout, constantly making complicated and sometimes unintelligible gestures to his charges, and generally looked rather forlorn whenever a TV camera panned to him. His infamous water bottles arguably got more screen time than he did last season

We have grown so used to seeing him dominate, beating everyone in his path and generally making it look easy, that for a while, City’s collapse was a welcome breath of fresh air, something like the dawn of a new era. But in another context, we also saw some of their greatest ever players fall from grace - it was a sad sight to see the likes of Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and especially Kevin De Bruyne look out of place on the pitch, and after a while, their poor form earned them a certain amount of sympathy - credit must to Guardiola for salvaging Champions League and a third place finish; it all looked so unlikely at the turn of the year.

Now, the Spaniard must oversee a full rebuild - securing the signings of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri could all prove massive in the upcoming campaign, and it is unlikely that the Spaniard will stop there - with so many players up for sale or rumoured to be headed elsewhere, Guardiola must draw on all of his experience and use his pull to maximum effect - if he fails to bring in players of suitable quality, another relatively uncompetitive season could well be on the cards.

Who is Manchester City’s Player to Watch?

Erling Haaland

Although City’s stranglehold on English football came to an abrupt and unexpected end last season, Manchester City’s Norwegian terminator kept doing what he does best - finding the back of the net by any means necessary.

Happy 25th birthday to Erling Haaland. 🇳🇴🥳

⚽️ 301 goals
🏆🏆 Premier League
🏆 FA Cup
🏆 Champions League
✅ Golden boot for Premier League, Champions League and Europe in 2023
🥇 Premier league POTS & YPOTS 2023
🥇 FWA POTY 2023 pic.twitter.com/kOtu2t8H34

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) July 21, 2025

Though it was statistically his least productive season in a sky blue shirt (34 goals in 48 games in all comps), Haaland remained impressive as the focal point of the attack, and even when those around him failed to flaunt their typically brilliance and fluidity, the two-time golden boot winner still found the net with haunting regularity. Specialising particularly in scrappy, intidy goals as City slumped to a mediocre third place finish by their standards, it will be scary for everyone else when this revamped, younger Manchester City are at their flowing best, when the word “messy” does not even register in their vocabulary.

He suffered a couple of minor injury setbacks in 2024/25, but neither kept Haaland away from the game for too long. With a body like a lumberjack and a character that demands, even orders goals from him, the big man was never going to be out for a long spell. And with £80 million January signing Omar Marmoush starting to find his feet at the club, the club could build one of the most intimidating strike partnerships the Premier League has seen in decades if both hit form together.

Manchester City 2025/26 Season Prediction

It is hard to know what to expect from Manchester City this season. Top four is almost a certainty, given the manager, the squad, their funds and their facilities - but how will thier new signings fit in? The incoming players have for the most part come from struggling teams - Ait-Nouri from relegation threatened Wolves, Rayan Cherki from relegated/unrelegated Lyon, and James Trafford from a Burnley side that will be be fighting for survival come the end of the season.

Even Tijjani Reijnders came from an AC Milan side that struggled to string two wins together last season, and that begs the question - how will their new boys transition from their old clubs to one that expects to win four out of every five games. The 4-0 opening day win against Wolves was certainly a positive sign, with Reijnders scoring and assisiting, and Cherki also making the scoresheet, but their squad will undoubtedly be tested against the bigger sides. They will still be recovering from a trophyless season last year, and despite heavy investment, the team looks like it needs a season of leniancy in order to devlop.

Fortunately, with Pep Guardiola at the helm, not too much can go wrong - even in what was viewed as a catastrophic season last year, the Spaniard guided the Cityzens to a third place finish in the league and an FA Cup final. Though they won't be winning the league this year, they will certainly be competing for domestic cup competitions.

Football Park's Prediction: 3rd