A return to the status quo and putting a rare trophyless campaign behind them is what Manchester City will be aiming for this term as the club embark on their first season in a decade without Kevin De Bruyne.
Pep Guardiola, who extended his contract until 2027, brings continuity amid a transitional summer and will want to see his team regain their seat at the summit of the Premier League after relinquishing the crown they maintained for four successive seasons.
Finishing third, thirteen points off the pace, came as a shock considering the heights that City have scaled in recent campaigns, but a tail-off was inevitable at some point and their collapse during the middle of last season served as a stark reminder of the need for squad depth and resilience.
Their nine league losses were more than their two previous seasons combined. Crashing out of the Champions League and League Cup early, combined with their FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace, meant no silverware for the first time in eight years, which was Guardiola’s inaugural season in charge.
**Rodri**’s season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in September was a major factor in the nose dive in form, and served as a warning to Guardiola on his reliance on a relatively small squad. Guardiola began his rebuilding during last season, signing Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis, and has continued during the summer.
Tijjani Reijnders, one of **Serie A**’s best midfielders, has been recruited from AC Milan to fill De Bruyne’s creative void. Rayan Cherki brings youth and flair, with the 21-year-old attacking midfielder boasting 32 goal contributions for Lyon last term.
Getty: Michael Regan
Rayan Ait-Nouri arrives after impressing with Wolverhampton Wanderers and goalkeeper James Trafford, instrumental in **Burnley**’s promotion, returns to the club were he played in the academy and is set to be groomed as **Ederson**’s long-term successor.
The sales of De Bruyne and Kyle Walker has seen Guardiola lose leadership from his playing group but in Bernardo Silva, who will take over as captain, he has someone who is well accustomed to the high demands.
Injuries impacted City during season of hurt
Guardiola will have to contend with injuries from the outset, though. Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined for two months following Achilles surgery, Rodri won’t be ready for the first three league games and Phil Foden continues to grapple with an ankle problem. They are therefore thin in central areas.
The onus will be on Reijnders and Cherki to step up quickly and serve the team with their creativity. After leading the division in scoring for two successive seasons, Erling Harland,, whose 31 goals last season represented a drop in performance, will be aiming to revert back to his outlandish output.
Perhaps the biggest moment of the season for City could come in October when the verdict is expected on the 115 charges of breaking Premier League financial regulations that were brought against them in February 2023 and have always been denied by the club.
Another unknown is how the FIFA Club World Cup will impact their season. They didn’t make it past the last-16 stage but, still, the gruelling few weeks in the United States will have been energy sapping nonetheless.
It was the first time this new expanded tournament was played in the summer and it would only be natural for the clubs that took part to be hit by fatigue as the campaign progresses. It could be an advantage to City’s rivals who have been able to enjoy the full relax that a free summer brings.
Getty: Maurizio Lagana
Despite the summer splurge and desire to put the hurt of last season behind them, Guardiola will recognise that it will take some effort to reel in Liverpool and Arsenal who both finished above City last term and have strengthened during the off-season too.
Having only had a few weeks break following their US sojourn before a short pre-season and just the one friendly, a 3-0 win against Palermo, City start the season somewhat out of kilter with the rest. Early fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion will test their readiness.
This is Guardiola’s ninth season in charge of City and it promises to be the most intriguing of his tenure so far.
He demonstrated his abilities when under pressure to rescue a Champions League berth last term — and such a salvage cannot be underestimated, even for a financial powerhouse like City.
But how successfully Guardiola remoulds his side with the new additions while other strong title contenders pose an ominous threat will determine whether this next, and possibly final, phase of his tenure is remembered as one last act of reinvention or an end of an era.