Manchester City 2026/27 Season Preview
Premier League Blog
Manchester City 2026/27 Season Preview
Where Did Man City Finish Last Season
While Pep Guardiola couldn’t guide Manchester City to yet another Premier League title in his final season at the Etihad, he still departed with plenty to shout about as the Cityzens finished second behind Arsenal, beating the London club to the Carabao Cup and Chelsea to the FA Cup.
Though their Champions League run ended prematurely at the hands of Real Madrid, Pep departed with his legacy intact and left successor Enzo Maresca a squad complete with the likes of Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Rodri and, of course, Erling Haaland.
Granted, it’s not the level of talent we have come to expect of City teams gone by – the 2018-2023 squad remains one of the highest quality the league has ever seen – but Maresca has still been left with some excellent building blocks. It’s now on him to make the mortar.
City are back, City are back! 👋 pic.twitter.com/MGWpXhQWUJ
— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 20, 2026
With hundreds of millions to spend, some of the best players in the world in their positions, and an expectant fanbase that demands silverware every season these days, the former Chelsea head coach will get no grace period at the Etihad – it's very much sink or swim.
Judgement is quick to pass for Man City coaches, and if Maresca fails to achieve similar results to Guardiola, we could see a return to the early 2010s, where City managers rarely lasted more than two seasons.
Whatever happens in 2026/27, it’s bound to entertain – just make sure you’re following Haaland’s social media accounts…
Best Result: Man City 5-1 Burnley (Esteve OG 12’, 65’, Nunes 61’, Haaland 90’, 90+3: Anthony 38’).
Worst Result: Man United 2-0 Man City (Mbeumo 65’, Dorgu 76’).
Who Have Manchester City Signed in the Summer Transfer Window So Far?
IN
Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea - £125 Million
Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest – £111 Million
Ayyoub Bouaddi from LOSC Lille - £85.5 Million
Iliman Ndiaye from Everton - £65 Million
Allan Elias from Palmeiras - £34.2 Million
Mathys Detourbert from Troyes – £21.4 Million
Jeremy Monga from Leicester City – £10 Million
Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday – £3 Million
Geronimo Rulli from Marseille - £1.7 Million
Total Spent: £456.8 Million
OUT
Savinho to Tottenham - £85 Million
Rodri to Barcelona - £65 Million
Omar Marmoush to Tottenham - £60 Million
Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah - £52.1 Million
Nico Gonzalez to Newcastle United - £52 Million
James Trafford to Leeds United - £45 Million
Manuel Akanji to Inter Milan - £12.8 Million
Nathan Aké to Fenerbahçe – £8.5 Million
Reigan Heskey to Cologne – £8 Million
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to Cologne – £4.7 Million
Issa Kabore to Wrexham - £2 Million
Luca Fletcher to Ipswich Town – Undisclosed
Finley Burns to Wigan Athletic - Undisclosed
Matty Warhurst to Northampton Town – Undisclosed
Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid – Free Transfer
Max Alleyne to Burnley - Season-Long Loan
Kalvin Phillips to Sheffield United - Season-Long Loan
Jack Grealish to Everton - Season-Long Loan
Charlie Gray to Wigan Athletic - Season-Long Loan
Mathys Detourbet to AS Monaco – Season-Long Loan
Divin Mubama to Southampton - Season-Long Loan
Divine Mukasa to West Ham - Season-Long Loan
Pierce Charles to QPR – Season-Long Loan
Stephen Mfuni to Coventry City - Season-Long Loan
Isaac Smith to Barnsley – Free
Oliver Whatmuff to Stockport County – Season-Long Loan
Sverre Nypan to Lommel – Season-Long Loan
Jeremy Monga to Swansea City - Season-Long Loan
Spike Brits to Sutton United – Season-Long Loan
Lakyle Samuel to Exeter City - Season-Long Loan
Jaden Heskey to Sheffield Wednesday - Season-Long Loan
Emilio Lawrence to Luton Town - Season-Long Loan
Christian McFarlane to Leicester City - Season-Long Loan
John Stones – Released
Total Received: £395.1 Million
Manchester City 2026/27 Squad List
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Geronimo Rulli, Marcus Bettinelli.
Defenders: Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Juma Bah, Vitor Reis, Ruben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, Issa Kaboré, Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye
Attackers: Claudio Echeverri, Ryan McAidoo, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo, Allan Elias
Manchester City 2026/27 Home, Away and Third Kits
La nostra pell per a la temporada que s'apropa 👕
— Manchester City (@ManCityCatala) July 16, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/PtvKD7ZuRC pic.twitter.com/MhG4oP1VlO
Away Kit
👕 Manchester City have dropped their 2026/27 away kit and it's a belter.
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) July 31, 2026
🐝 The added detailing of the Manchester Bee is perfect.
The Manchester Bee is a famous symbol of the city, that started in 1842 when it was added to the city's official coat of arms, and represents hard… pic.twitter.com/S8I3tjbP0X
Third Kit
Man City’s new third shirt has dropped. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BhVP2SkFrY
— EPL Bible (@EPLBible) August 27, 2026
What is Manchester City’s Opening Premier League Fixture?
Manchester City vs Bournemouth | Etihad Stadium, Manchester | Sunday, August 23rd, 14:00
How Can I Watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth?
TV coverage for the game is yet to be announced.
What Are Manchester City’s First Five Fixtures?
-
Manchester City vs Bournemouth – Monday, August 23rd.
-
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City – Friday, August 28th.
-
Manchester City vs Coventry – Saturday, September 5th.
-
Manchester United vs Manchester City – Sunday, September 13th.
-
Manchester City vs Sunderland – Saturday, September 19th.
When Do Manchester City Play Rivals Manchester United in 2026/27?
The quintessential northern derby, Man United vs Man City has regained some of its competitive edge after the two sides shared victories last season. In fact, in their last five, both sides share two wins and a draw – Man City will be desperate to begin dominating this local head-to-head once more in 2026/27.
-
Manchester United vs Manchester City | Old Trafford, Manchester | Sunday, September 13th
-
Manchester City vs Manchester United | Etihad Stadium, Manchester | Saturday, March 20th
Last Five Meetings:
-
17/01/2026: Man United 2-0 Man City (Premier League)
-
14/09/2025: Man City 3-0 Man United (Premier League)
-
06/04/2025: Man United 0-0 Man City (Premier League)
-
15/12/2024: Man City 1-2 Man United (Premier League)
-
10/08/2024: Man City p1-1 Man United (Community Shield)
Who is Manchester United’s Manager for the 2025/26 Season?
Enzo Maresca
Premier League fans are already plenty familiar with new City boss Enzo Maresca, and as a Chelsea fan, I have no shortage of opinions on the coach who abandoned us midway through last season simply because he repeatedly told the board he was negotiating with City for the exact post he now holds.
Putting that to the side for a moment, it is clear the Italian is a talented coach. He has won a trophy in every full campaign he has coached, including most recently the inaugural 32-team World Cup, despite coaching a Chelsea squad that was clearly inferior to losing finalists PSG.
🚨⚠️ OFFICIAL: Chelsea statement on Enzo Maresca.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 29, 2026
“Chelsea FC appreciates the 2025/26 season was a hugely disappointing one for the Club and its supporters. A major contributing factor was the disruption caused as a result of changes that the Club was forced to make to the Head… pic.twitter.com/sZhXCZgADk
His coaching ability is never in question – it's his attitude that has always been the focus. Never afraid to speak out against Chelsea’s bizarre ownership regime, Maresca made it clear that no one was his boss.
While the City owners may be considerably more laid back, the Italian must watch himself, as the last thing he wants to do is get on their nerves. Nevertheless, the thought of Rayan Cherki suddenly adding some impetus to Maresca’s patient build-up and Haaland sniffing for the slightest whiff of a chance is enough to put a quake in the knees – Maresca's Man City have the potential to be hugely dangerous.
Who is Manchester City’s Player to Watch?
Erling Haaland
We all knew that Haaland was a world-class striker before the World Cup. However, his performances on the biggest stage of all propelled him to absolute superstardom. Netting seven goals in six games despite it being Norway’s first World Cup since 1998 showed him to be truly elite, and moreover, a proper team player.
So if he can hit those highs in a Norway side providing limited service for him, imagine what he can do in a Manchester City side with the likes of Doku, Cherki, Marmoush and co. coached by Maresca – it's enough to give even the world’s best defender the night sweats.
🤯 Erling Haaland becomes the most expensive FPL player of all time after being priced at £15.5m for 2026/27! 🤖
— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) July 22, 2026
Will he be in your team at that price? 😱 pic.twitter.com/qsU3NhNYlN
Netting 162 times in 198 Man City games in all competitions, there is no questioning Haaland’s credentials – it's not a matter of if he scores against you, it’s when. As long as he is on the pitch, no game is ever over.
Manchester City 2026/27 Season Prediction
With the recruitment of Elliot Anderson, Maresca has added genuine world-class midfield depth, finally providing Rodri with the high-quality assistance he has sorely needed in recent seasons.
However, the releases of Bernardo Silva and John Stones, alongside the sales of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, mean that the backline needs some proper reinforcements, and though there are six weeks left in the transfer window, options are running out first.
Even if they do sign the right players, there is no guarantee that Maresca starts to produce results immediately – remember, even Guardiola couldn’t lift a trophy in his first season at City, so set realistic expectations.
There is no doubt that the Cityzens are one of the strongest teams around, and while Arsenal are favourites to retain their title, we can see City giving them another excellent push to the end, setting a positive precedent for the Maresca era.
Football Park’s Prediction: 2nd.
Louis Wheeldon 
