No Manchester City fan could have foreseen the recent decline in form under Pep Guardiola, a run of games that has massively dented their ambitions of making it five Premier League titles in a row.
The Citizens have only won one game in the last nine in all competitions, coming against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad last week, but failed to claim all three points against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Such a run of form has seen them fall eight points behind current leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand after their game against Everton was postponed on Saturday.
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City is still the home to countless talents who could work their magic once again, overturning their early season deficit and creating yet more history during the Spaniard’s tenure at the club.
Part of their success has been their incredible academy setup, producing endless stars who have either made an impact on the first team in Manchester or who have gone on to make them a decent sum of money in their quest for dominance.
Manchester City’s academy stars in recent years
Phil Foden is a player known for his emergence out of the City academy, forcing his way into Guardiola’s side, whilst becoming a full England international in the process.
He arrived as a four-year-old, spending the entirety of his youth at the club, before eventually breaking into the first-team setup as a baby-faced 17-year-old, making his debut way back in November 2017.
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Foden has since made nearly 300 appearances for his boyhood club, winning countless honours, producing his best-ever campaign last time around, registering 27 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
Cole Palmer is another example of a player who managed to break into the City ranks, albeit with way less of an impact compared to his friend and compatriot.
The 22-year-old would only muster 41 senior appearances, before swapping for Manchester for London, joining Chelsea in a £40m deal during the summer of 2023.
He’s since gone on to achieve remarkable things at Stamford Bridge, registering 67 goal contributions in just 61 appearances for the Blues, with Guardiola potentially living to regret his decision to offload the superstar.
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Palmer isn’t the only player to take his career to the next level after leaving the Etihad, with another young prospect finding his feet in the professional game, making his former employers rue their decision to allow him to leave.
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Where are they now
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Fomer Man City ace is now an £80m star in the making
Morgan Rogers arrived from West Brom as a youth player back in 2019, originally linking up with the academy setup alongside Palmer for numerous years.
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However, he failed to make a single appearance for City’s first team, being sent on numerous loan spells away from the Etihad with the likes of Blackpool, Bournemouth and Lincoln City.
The winger would make the permanent move to Championship side Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023, before leaving for Aston Villa back in January of this year, a move that has transformed his career and catapulted him into the limelight.
It’s allowed the Englishman to feature in the Champions League in recent months, starring at the top level of club football, leading to former Villan Tony Cascarino dubbing him as a similar player to Bayern Munich’s star Jamal Musiala.
"He reminds me a little bit of Jamal Musiala. He's that guy that picks up the ball and he'll just make runs and he'll create problems for others. He's got a lot about him."
The German has become one of the most impressive youngsters in Europe, but when comparing Musiala’s figures to Rogers this campaign, the former City talent has produced some stats very similar to the elite-level talent.
How Morgan Rogers compares to Jamal Musiala (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Goals per shot-on-target
Progressive carries
Goal-creating actions
Take-on success
Crosses completed
Stats via FBref
Whilst he may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, the Villa attacker has notched a higher goal per shot-on-target rate, demonstrating that he’s more clinical with his chances in front of goal.
He’s also matched Musiala for goal-creating actions in 2024/25, leading to former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood dubbing the 22-year-old as a £80m talent just months after his £15m transfer.
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Given his rapid development away from Manchester, the club may now be regretting their decision to offload the promising youngster, with his talent there for all to see.
His ability could have helped Guardiola’s side avoid their recent torrid run of form, now going down as yet another case of what could’ve been for a former City academy prospect.
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