Man City currently sit second in the Premier League – how would you summarise your season so far?
I think it’s been fairly mixed. We started the season with two losses in our first three games before the first international break, but after we returned we started to get back to our best.
We’ve had performances this season that remind me of the title-winning performances that used to be normal for us, but then we’ve had performances that were lacklustre, such as the 1-0 loss against Aston Villa and the 2-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. It’s definitely progress from last season, but there are still some cracks that will have to be covered if we are to challenge for trophies.
It’s often said that Pep Guardiola’s side is going through a rebuild. What are the key challenges he is facing at the moment?
It’s definitely a transition period for us. In the last four or five years we’ve had to replace some of the best players we’ve seen play for City and some that are ageing and not at their best any more. I actually think that, all things considered, City have replaced well.
The thing is that the players replacing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündoğan, Kyle Walker, and Riyad Mahrez aren’t yet up to the standard those players set. Tijjani Reijnders looks like he’s a great addition to replicate Gündoğan, whilst Rayan Cherki is a special talent to add to the squad. One of the key challenges that Pep is facing at the moment is the task of getting this City side to the extraordinary standards set by some of our squads in the past.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 10: Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City poses with the UEFA Champions League Trophy after the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 final match between FC Internazionale and Manchester City FC on June 10, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Francois Nel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 10: Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City poses with the UEFA Champions League Trophy after the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 final match between FC Internazionale and Manchester City FC on June 10, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Francois Nel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
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City have conceded six goals in your last two matches, still winning both – what are the factors behind your defence being less solid than in past years?
I personally think that at times this season and last we tend to switch off for periods in matches. The Leeds match last week we were 2-0 up and cruising after a dominant first-half performance that saw us have 14 shots at goal to Leeds’ one. Then by the 68th minute it was 2-2 with us having one shot in the second period up until around the 80th minute. It was the same with Fulham in the week, which was a stressful one to watch in the last 20 minutes. In those last two matches I think we’ve been lucky that we’ve been clinical in an attacking sense to outscore Leeds and Fulham.
I honestly can’t really think what’s changed to make our defence more leaky than previous years, because not a lot has. One thing that could be pinpointed is the right-back position. Kyle Walker was a huge asset for us defensively up until last season really, and we haven’t replaced that void. Matheus Nunes had a slow start in the position but to be fair to him has really stepped up in the last couple of months, but he isn’t a natural right-back. He’s also different to Walker because Walker was exceptional against wingers. Nunes doesn’t have the same abilities defensively as Walker, and this could be a reason why our defence has been less solid than in past years.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: Kyle Walker of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United FC at Etihad Stadium on January 04, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: Kyle Walker of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United FC at Etihad Stadium on January 04, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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After initially signing James Trafford, City then signed Gianluigi Donnarumma to become their number one. How does he differ from Ederson and how has his City career started?
He’s very different, but he’s settled in straight away. I actually think he’s not far off being as mad as Ederson was! One thing in particular that really sticks out for me with the Italian is his passion for the club already. Every goal he celebrates like he’s scored it himself, and he’s built a strong connection with the fans already. Players showing passion for the club is something I always love to see, and I fell in love with Donnarumma ever since he knee-slid in front of the United fans on his debut!
A fairly obvious difference with Donnarumma to Ederson is his distribution. Ederson’s kicking was second to none and, in my opinion, the best we’ve ever seen from a goalkeeper. I can barely point out any misplaced passes he made for us. But Ederson was a phenom in that department; Donnarumma’s distribution has honestly been a lot better than I thought and hasn’t caused us any issues so far. His shot-stopping makes up for this, and the save he made on his debut to deny Bryan Mbeumo was incredible. I actually had a really good view of it in the ground, and the speed of the save was out of this world.
I do feel for James Trafford as it did seem at one point that he was brought in to be number one, but with rumours of him possibly leaving the club as early as the January transfer window, it just doesn’t seem the right fit. He’s a brilliant goalkeeper and one that shouldn’t go to waste, and it would be sad to see him on the bench for us for the majority of the time. That’s football sometimes though; when a goalkeeper of Donnarumma’s quality is available on the market, it’s almost impossible to turn that opportunity down. I can’t believe Paris Saint-Germain wanted to replace him!
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 2: Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates their third goal during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 2, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 2: Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates their third goal during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 2, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Elsewhere, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Aït-Nouri also joined the club. How have they got on so far?
They’ve all been great additions to the squad! Rayan Cherki has been brilliant and he’s one of those players that just loves to play football. He plays football like it’s a hobby and is so effective. His technical ability is excellent, and he’s already adapted so well to the squad. Not to compare, but on Merseyside Florian Wirtz was signed for £116 million and has seemed to struggle to adapt to the differences of the Premier League. Cherki was signed for a fraction of that price and has provided much more output. Wirtz is a great player, don’t get me wrong, but it shows Cherki’s quality that he’s been able to fit in straight away.
Tijjani Reijnders has looked to be a great coup from AC Milan. In his debut against Wolves, it looked as if he’d been playing for us for years, and it was a spectacular debut. Since then he didn’t score until Tuesday’s 5-4 win, but he’s still a great attacking outlet. The only slight downside to his game is that defensively he is quite poor in terms of winning duels and tackling. However, his understanding of the game and technical ability is brilliant, and he looks to be the real deal. I mentioned earlier about him replicating Ilkay Gündoğan; he was essentially brought in to replace the German, and it looks as though he can fill that void. I personally think his best role is as a number eight.
As for Rayan Aït-Nouri, it’s been hard for him to nail a place in the starting XI. He started the first three matches of the season but then picked up an injury during the first international break. Nico O’Reilly filled in for him and has never looked back. Aït-Nouri has been unlucky that O’Reilly has been incredible, and like I said with the Trafford situation earlier, that’s football. I definitely think that there is still a place for Aït-Nouri in the squad, as there is always time in football. Guardiola was asked about the Algerian full-back today in his press conference and basically said that the only reason he is not playing is that O’Reilly is in good form.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 2: Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, Rayan Cherki of Manchester City and Rayan Ait-Nouri of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 2, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 2: Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, Rayan Cherki of Manchester City and Rayan Ait-Nouri of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 2, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
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In recent weeks it seems as though we’re starting to see the best of Phil Foden again. What has changed for him to return to his best form?
He’s back! I think that last year was a tough year for him and he looked burnt out at times. Foden is at his best when he’s enjoying his football and playing with a smile on his face. That’s exactly what he’s doing now, and he’s showing glimpses of his quality we saw in the season that he won PFA Player of the Year. His goals from outside the box are starting to come back, his last-minute winners/equalisers are coming back, and he is becoming one of the first names on the team sheet again.
There’s been whispers in the last few days of him reportedly being given a similar contract to the one we saw Erling Haaland sign last season, keeping the Norwegian with us until 2034, and it would be fitting. He’s a local lad and bleeds blue through and through, so it’s only right to give him a long contract. I just wish it could be a lifetime one!
We couldn’t go the entire article without discussing Erling Haaland. We all know how good his goal-scoring record is; what are the key attributes that separate him so far from other Premier League strikers?
If you were to tell me at the start of the season that by the beginning of December Erling Haaland will have scored 33 goals in all competitions, I’d have told you that you’ve got your calendar mixed up! We’re in the presence of one of the best goalscorers in the history of the game, and I personally think that he’s never been better than he is now. Something that it seems as though he has worked on this season is his hold-up play. He is now used more often and effectively in the build-up, and that’s something we haven’t seen from him so far in his career to this quality. His assist to Reijnders on Tuesday night was outstanding. The way he received the ball with his back to goal, shrugged off his defender, and played a perfect pass to the on-coming midfielder was beautifully done. He must have updated his software because he can’t be human!
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal, making him the fastest Premier League player to score 100 goals during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 02, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal, making him the fastest Premier League player to score 100 goals during the Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on December 02, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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If you were Régis Le Bris setting up to try and beat City at the Etihad, what would you do?
It’s a tough task and easier said than done, but I think his best bet is to play with intensity. Generally, City struggle against sides that are very well organised defensively and battle for every midfield ball. There was a large period of time in the second half against Leeds last weekend where Leeds were the better team up until about the 85th minute. Crystal Palace is a great example; we’ve always struggled against Palace because of their set-up and team effort. The worrying thing for us is that Sunderland are a team that play with high intensity and battle for every midfield ball, are well organised, and can stretch us, so if I’m honest, I’m not particularly confident for the match.
What style of play can we expect to encounter, are any players missing, and what do you think the starting XI will be?
Honestly, it depends what City side turns up. If it’s the one that saw us beat Liverpool 3-0 last month, then you can expect fast, free-flowing football, expressive characters, and an entertaining game. If it’s the type of City side that lost to Bayer Leverkusen a week and a half ago, then you can expect uncoordinated, sloppy football that, as a City fan, you would want to end immediately. We’ve appeared to vary our playing style at times this season. At the Emirates against Arsenal, we played how we never really have done before, especially in the Pep era, and just sat back to defend and play on the counter. It almost paid off, but a 94th-minute equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli forced us to settle for a point. I’m going to hope that we can play fast, free-flowing football, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Rodri is likely to be out of the match tomorrow; he’s close to regaining fitness after struggling with a couple of knocks in recent months and obviously the anterior cruciate ligament injury that saw him sit the majority of last season out on the sidelines. Mateo Kovačić is out until February with an ankle injury.
With a huge Champions League clash away to Real Madrid in midweek, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pep Guardiola has one eye on that game and will look to rotate his side for tomorrow. We’re unchanged in the last two matches, but I think we’ll see at least two or three changes to the side. I’d predict the following: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Stones, O’Reilly, Nico, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Marmoush, Haaland.