Manchester City enter the new Premier League campaign under fresh leadership as Enzo Maresca takes charge of a club that has dominated English football for over a decade, tasked with sustaining the standards set during the Pep Guardiola era. The club is tipped by Guardian writers to finish second this season, matching their final-day position from last term.
The scale of Maresca's challenge became clearer with the summer departure of Rodri, who left to join Barcelona after captaining Spain to World Cup glory and earning the tournament's player of the tournament award. The Spaniard, who could be in line for a second Ballon d'Or, was a cornerstone of City's midfield both domestically and in Europe, and his exit leaves a considerable void. City have also lost defensive experience with John Stones and Nathan Aké moving on, alongside the departure of Bernardo Silva.
To offset those losses, City moved decisively in the transfer market, paying £116m to prise Elliot Anderson away from Nottingham Forest. The 21-year-old impressed for England during the World Cup and now inherits the daunting task of filling Rodri's shoes in midfield. Despite failing to secure a regular starting spot during five years at Newcastle, Anderson showed glimpses at international level of a player capable of dictating tempo with both long, expansive passing and quicker, controlled distribution — traits reminiscent of his predecessor.
Erling Haaland remains the focal point of City's attack and will start the season as favourite to win a fourth Premier League Golden Boot in five years. Phil Foden, freshly rewarded with a new long-term contract, will be expected to combine effectively with Rayan Cherki as City look to maintain their creative threat from midfield into the final third.
Defensive solidity from set pieces will be an area of scrutiny for Maresca. City conceded more league goals from dead-ball situations last season than in the previous two campaigns combined, with costly examples including defeats at Aston Villa and Newcastle, both decided by goals from corners. Notably, Maresca's own record at Chelsea saw his side concede from a set piece roughly every three league matches — a marginally worse rate than City's last season — suggesting this is an area requiring urgent attention.
Young Brazilian defender Vitor Reis could be primed for a bigger role this season. After a difficult senior debut in an FA Cup exit to Leyton Orient in early 2025, Reis featured sparingly for City, including a substitute appearance in the win over Leicester and a start in the Club World Cup victory over Wydad Casablanca. A season-long loan at sister club Girona ended in relegation, but reports suggest he made positive strides during his time there.
Off the pitch, City continue to operate as one of the best-run clubs in world football, though the shadow of 130 alleged rule-breach charges from the Premier League still looms, with the club maintaining its innocence more than three years after the charges were first brought. The Etihad Stadium has also been enhanced by the new Pep Guardiola Stand, raising capacity to 61,000, while the club has frozen ticket prices for a third straight season and introduced flexible season tickets along with discounted £10 seats for local residents.
Speaking about taking on the role, Maresca expressed enthusiasm rather than trepidation over succeeding Guardiola. "It's fantastic, nice and exciting, and for me, a privilege," he said, adding that alignment with the club's hierarchy — chair Khaldoon al-Mubarak, director of football Hugo Viana, and chief executive Ferran Soriano — was central to his approach. "This is a club that has to win games, titles and has to compete, but we also talk about how we can continue to make this club better, season after season," Maresca said.
Having already lifted the Championship with Leicester and won the Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, Maresca will be eager to add a Premier League title in his first attempt at the Etihad — a feat that would cement his standing as Guardiola's successor.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.