Manchester City – Premier League 2023-24 Season Preview

Reigning champions Manchester City have dominated the landscape of English football under Pep Guardiola’s reign, winning each of the last three and five of the last six Premier League titles. The Cityzens were the best team on the continent last season, adding European success to their domestic supremacy to become just the second English side in history to secure a historic treble.

Matching last season’s success could be an impossible task for Manchester City, but with a star-studded squad and manager, it is going to take a superhuman effort from the chasing pack to outmatch Pep Guardiola’s side in 23/24.

Summer Dealings

Manchester City bid goodbye to stalwarts Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez in the off-season, with the German signing for FC Barcelona on a free transfer and Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli poaching the right-winger for £30 million.

The Cityzens are yet to buy a like-for-like replacement for Mahrez but added Matteo Kovacic from Chelsea for a fee of £30 million to add depth in central midfield. The reigning champions also signed highly rated left-footed centre-back Joskvo Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for an eye-watering sum of £77.6 million. The Croatian is likely to take Aymeric Laporte’s place in the squad, with the 29-year-old heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer.

Player to watch out for

With Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez out the door, Manchester City are going to need Phil Foden to play a big role next season, either off the right wing or from central midfield. The 23-year-old is yet to become a mainstay in Manchester City’s first XI across a Premier League campaign, but this could be the season where the Englishman finally nails down a starting spot in Pep Guardiola’s side and translates his talent into consistent performances.

Probable XI

Manchester City are likely to start the new campaign with the same XI that played the majority of last season on their way to the extraordinary treble victory. Ederson starts in goal, with Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Nathan Ake as the established first-choice back four.

Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri are guaranteed starters in midfield, while Matteo Kovacic could take Ilkay Gundogan’s place in the first XI on the left. Further up the field, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish are likely to start the season as the first-choice wingers, with Erling Haaland as the central number nine.

Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri, Matteo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish.