The curious case of Manchester City. Last season, Pep Guardiola’s side were four-in-a-row Premier League champions, and they were just a year ahead of a stunning treble.
But things went wrong; Guardiola’s is a complex machine, and some of the cogs fell out of place after so many years at the top. In a way, that was to be expected. That Man City dominated as they did for as long as they did was miraculous in many ways.
Heading into the current campaign, there was much uncertainty about City’s pre-season preparations, but there have been promising signs, and their position is fifth after seven games. Arsenal, top of the table, hold a three-point lead.
Arsenal probably have the most complete squad in the Premier League, while Liverpool boast the most threatening frontline, having broken the British transfer record twice this summer with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
When Man City missed out on Florian Wirtz
At the beginning of the summer, it looked as though the German was on his way to the Etihad. Reports indicated that he was ‘tempted’ to move to Manchester but the Citizens ultimately ended up pulling out of the deal.
Indeed, other claims at the time suggested that they had withdrawn their interest due to ‘the rising costs’ of the move. Quite. Liverpool ended up signing him for a whopping £116m.
That said, it’s unlikely they’ll be too upset. City have the unstoppable Erling Haaland leading the line while Wirtz continues to flounder, failing to score in Liverpool red just yet.
By Haaland’s standards, it’s been a slow start to the season. Nine goals from seven Premier League matches. How he must hang his head in shame.
25/26
9
1
24/25
10
0
23/24
8
1
22/23
11
1
Twice the Norwegian has posted more at this early stage, but we’re splitting hairs, and this really just underscores exactly how inimitable a goalscorer Haaland really is.
Aged 25, he’s now a robust and intelligent number nine, blending his physicality and innate shooting ability with movement and timing beyond all his positional peers.
If City reclaim their throne this term, there is no question that the unstoppable striker will be the main man.
Haaland is the most valuable player in the Premier League, according to CIES Football Observatory, but he’s not the only Citizen with a lofty price tag.
Indeed, Guardiola holds another in his ranks who actually eclipses the aforementioned Liverpool superstars, Isak and Wirtz.
Man City have struck gold with their "generational talent"
Manchester City might have emerged from a valley, but further back there have been plenty of peaks. And among the definitive stars of the Guardiola era is Phil Foden, who might just be hitting his stride once again.
Foden graduated from the City academy in 2016 and has made 197 appearances for City, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League among many further honours. The Independent’s Miguel Delaney hailed him as a “generational talent”.
Exceptionally talented on the ball and a predator in the final third, the versatile attacking midfielder dipped last season, no doubt, but he has been a talisman throughout an illustrious era for City, and ostensibly stands before his prime years.
CIES Football Observatory outlined only in January that the Three Lions star is among the most valuable in the world, with his £126m worth above Wirtz and marginally ahead of Isak.
Liverpool garnered plenty of praise for their summer spending spree, and indeed look a force to be reckoned with in the long run, but with Haaland and Foden combining in the final third under Pep’s wing, there’s every chance City will be the team to beat once again in a short time.
This emphasises the quality at Pep’s disposal, and if Foden can raise his game that bit more over the coming months, he might produce a campaign that sees Liverpool’s big hitters pale in comparison.
Whether Foden hits the same meteoric heights as previous campaigns remains to be seen, but he’s starting to click together once again and has the ‘generational’ quality to have every bit as big an impact as Haaland across the year.