Manchester City are aiming to defend their titles this season following a successful treble-winning campaign.
Since Pep Guardiola’s arrival, City have been a dominant force in the Premier League, winning the competition five times in the last six years and becoming the sixth team to win a hat-trick of English top-flight titles.
Man City are head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. The Cityzens remain the favourites to retain the Premier League title, showcasing their continued dominance in English football.
While European glory has eluded them in the past, Guardiola’s side broke the continental curse last season after winning their maiden Champions League title by edging out Inter Milan.
Despite their success, Man City have no plans to slow down, and it will take something special to deny them further glory this season.
Here is our Man City season preview for 2023/24. You can also read the 2023/24 Community Shield preview, which features Arsenal taking on Manchester City on 06 August 2023.
Man City Fixtures
Man City begin their title defence at Turf Moor, where they will trade tackles with Vincent Kompany’s newly promoted Burnley on August 11.
They then face a tough home fixture against Newcastle United the following weekend before rounding off the month with a trip to Sheffield United.
Guardiola’s side will have more work to do in October with mouth-watering fixtures against title rivals Arsenal (A) and Brighton & Hove Albion (H) before closing out the month with a mammoth showdown against local neighbours Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The fixtures come in thick and fast in December, with Man City set to play seven games before the New Year, including a high-profile clash with Tottenham Hotspur at home.
Haaland emerged as the top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. He also won the Champions League Golden Boot after scoring 12 times in Man City’s run to the title.
Prediction
Man City are certainly the team to watch this season. They are heavily favoured to win the Premier League title and could make history by becoming the first English team to win four top-flight trophies consecutively.
Arsenal came close to displacing them at the pinnacle of English football last season but faltered towards the end. They will need to produce something special to stop Guardiola’s well-oiled glory-hungry Blues.
After winning the treble, Man City will set their sights set on more silverware this season, with the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup up for grabs.
Guardiola’s side will be chasing seven major honours next season, and it would be unwise to bet against them and their chances of upgrading their treble to a septuple.
Predicted finish: 1st
Ederson; Ake, Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Stones; Foden, De Bruyne; Grealish, Haaland, Silva.
Star Player
You cannot ignore Haaland’s dominance in Man City’s star-studded squad, especially considering his exceptional goalscoring performance last season.
The Norwegian goal machine was a headline performer for the Cityzens, leading them to the treble with 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Haaland emerged as the top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. He also won the Champions League Golden Boot after scoring 12 times in Man City’s run to the title.
Prediction
Man City are certainly the team to watch this season. They are heavily favoured to win the Premier League title and could make history by becoming the first English team to win four top-flight trophies consecutively.
Arsenal came close to displacing them at the pinnacle of English football last season but faltered towards the end. They will need to produce something special to stop Guardiola’s well-oiled glory-hungry Blues.
After winning the treble, Man City will set their sights set on more silverware this season, with the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup up for grabs.
Guardiola’s side will be chasing seven major honours next season, and it would be unwise to bet against them and their chances of upgrading their treble to a septuple.
Predicted finish: 1st
While Man City are reluctant to let him go, they’re working on a deal to sign highly-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, which would help ease the blow of Walker’s potential departure.
Starting XI
Our prediction for Man City’s starting XI next season sees Ederson retain his place as the number-one goalkeeper, with Stefan Ortega as his back-up.
A formidable defence partnership of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji is expected to remain, although Gvardiol may compete for a starting spot if his transfer is completed.
John Stones and Rodri were Man City’s backbone and are likely to retain their spot at the base of midfield while Kalvin Phillips provides back-up.
In the absence of Gundogan and Mahrez, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez will battle for a chance to partner Kevin De Bruyne in attacking midfield.
Jack Grealish and Silva are expected to provide width on the flanks, but the latter’s potential departure raises questions about who fills the role in his absence.
Erling Braut Haaland will lead the line again, looking to pick up where he left off after obliterating several long-standing Premier League records in his debut campaign.
Guardiola is famous for tinkering with his tactical set-ups, but we expect a 3-2-2-3 structure with the strongest starting XI:
Ederson; Ake, Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Stones; Foden, De Bruyne; Grealish, Haaland, Silva.
Star Player
You cannot ignore Haaland’s dominance in Man City’s star-studded squad, especially considering his exceptional goalscoring performance last season.
The Norwegian goal machine was a headline performer for the Cityzens, leading them to the treble with 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Haaland emerged as the top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. He also won the Champions League Golden Boot after scoring 12 times in Man City’s run to the title.
Prediction
Man City are certainly the team to watch this season. They are heavily favoured to win the Premier League title and could make history by becoming the first English team to win four top-flight trophies consecutively.
Arsenal came close to displacing them at the pinnacle of English football last season but faltered towards the end. They will need to produce something special to stop Guardiola’s well-oiled glory-hungry Blues.
After winning the treble, Man City will set their sights set on more silverware this season, with the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup up for grabs.
Guardiola’s side will be chasing seven major honours next season, and it would be unwise to bet against them and their chances of upgrading their treble to a septuple.
Predicted finish: 1st
However, the transfer market will undoubtedly play a significant role in their bid for success this season, with the club poised to lose several high-profile stars this summer.
Transfers Business
Man City’s star-studded squad doesn’t have many weak spots, but they’ll need to dip into their deep pockets to replace some key players who are leaving this summer.
Mateo Kovacic is the only new addition to the squad. However, they’ve lost two influential stars, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Gundogan completed a move to Spanish champions Barcelona after his contract ran out, while Mahrez joined a host of stars flocking to the Saudi Pro League after receiving a bumper contract proposal from Al-Ahli.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future in Manchester remains uncertain. The talented Portuguese forward is keen to explore new horizons abroad and has drawn interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Barca. The free-spending Saudis are also eager to sign him.
Kyle Walker is another high-profile star who may be leaving amid concrete interest from German champions Bayern Munich.
While Man City are reluctant to let him go, they’re working on a deal to sign highly-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, which would help ease the blow of Walker’s potential departure.
Starting XI
Our prediction for Man City’s starting XI next season sees Ederson retain his place as the number-one goalkeeper, with Stefan Ortega as his back-up.
A formidable defence partnership of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji is expected to remain, although Gvardiol may compete for a starting spot if his transfer is completed.
John Stones and Rodri were Man City’s backbone and are likely to retain their spot at the base of midfield while Kalvin Phillips provides back-up.
In the absence of Gundogan and Mahrez, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez will battle for a chance to partner Kevin De Bruyne in attacking midfield.
Jack Grealish and Silva are expected to provide width on the flanks, but the latter’s potential departure raises questions about who fills the role in his absence.
Erling Braut Haaland will lead the line again, looking to pick up where he left off after obliterating several long-standing Premier League records in his debut campaign.
Guardiola is famous for tinkering with his tactical set-ups, but we expect a 3-2-2-3 structure with the strongest starting XI:
Ederson; Ake, Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Stones; Foden, De Bruyne; Grealish, Haaland, Silva.
Star Player
You cannot ignore Haaland’s dominance in Man City’s star-studded squad, especially considering his exceptional goalscoring performance last season.
The Norwegian goal machine was a headline performer for the Cityzens, leading them to the treble with 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Haaland emerged as the top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. He also won the Champions League Golden Boot after scoring 12 times in Man City’s run to the title.
Prediction
Man City are certainly the team to watch this season. They are heavily favoured to win the Premier League title and could make history by becoming the first English team to win four top-flight trophies consecutively.
Arsenal came close to displacing them at the pinnacle of English football last season but faltered towards the end. They will need to produce something special to stop Guardiola’s well-oiled glory-hungry Blues.
After winning the treble, Man City will set their sights set on more silverware this season, with the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup up for grabs.
Guardiola’s side will be chasing seven major honours next season, and it would be unwise to bet against them and their chances of upgrading their treble to a septuple.
Predicted finish: 1st
March promises to be action-packed for the defending champions, with clashes against Man United, Liverpool, Brighton and Arsenal lined up. They finish the campaign with a home fixture against West Ham United.
Manager
Guardiola is undoubtedly the best manager in the world and one of the greatest of all time.
His unique, flexible and easy-on-the-eye brand of football has been the platform for Man City’s tremendous success over the years.
The Spanish tactician has transformed Man City into a force to be reckoned with both at home and abroad. With their three titles up for grabs this season, it will take a truly exceptional effort to defeat them.
Guardiola should be credited for keeping complacency at bay in the locker room as his side strives for even greater success this year.
While it may be a long shot to suggest that Man City can win all three titles again, there are only a handful of teams in England and Europe capable of stopping them from achieving back-to-back trebles.
However, the transfer market will undoubtedly play a significant role in their bid for success this season, with the club poised to lose several high-profile stars this summer.
Transfers Business
Man City’s star-studded squad doesn’t have many weak spots, but they’ll need to dip into their deep pockets to replace some key players who are leaving this summer.
Mateo Kovacic is the only new addition to the squad. However, they’ve lost two influential stars, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Gundogan completed a move to Spanish champions Barcelona after his contract ran out, while Mahrez joined a host of stars flocking to the Saudi Pro League after receiving a bumper contract proposal from Al-Ahli.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future in Manchester remains uncertain. The talented Portuguese forward is keen to explore new horizons abroad and has drawn interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Barca. The free-spending Saudis are also eager to sign him.
Kyle Walker is another high-profile star who may be leaving amid concrete interest from German champions Bayern Munich.
While Man City are reluctant to let him go, they’re working on a deal to sign highly-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, which would help ease the blow of Walker’s potential departure.
Starting XI
Our prediction for Man City’s starting XI next season sees Ederson retain his place as the number-one goalkeeper, with Stefan Ortega as his back-up.
A formidable defence partnership of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji is expected to remain, although Gvardiol may compete for a starting spot if his transfer is completed.
John Stones and Rodri were Man City’s backbone and are likely to retain their spot at the base of midfield while Kalvin Phillips provides back-up.
In the absence of Gundogan and Mahrez, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez will battle for a chance to partner Kevin De Bruyne in attacking midfield.
Jack Grealish and Silva are expected to provide width on the flanks, but the latter’s potential departure raises questions about who fills the role in his absence.
Erling Braut Haaland will lead the line again, looking to pick up where he left off after obliterating several long-standing Premier League records in his debut campaign.
Guardiola is famous for tinkering with his tactical set-ups, but we expect a 3-2-2-3 structure with the strongest starting XI:
Ederson; Ake, Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Stones; Foden, De Bruyne; Grealish, Haaland, Silva.
Star Player
You cannot ignore Haaland’s dominance in Man City’s star-studded squad, especially considering his exceptional goalscoring performance last season.
The Norwegian goal machine was a headline performer for the Cityzens, leading them to the treble with 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Haaland emerged as the top scorer in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 35 matches. He also won the Champions League Golden Boot after scoring 12 times in Man City’s run to the title.
Prediction
Man City are certainly the team to watch this season. They are heavily favoured to win the Premier League title and could make history by becoming the first English team to win four top-flight trophies consecutively.
Arsenal came close to displacing them at the pinnacle of English football last season but faltered towards the end. They will need to produce something special to stop Guardiola’s well-oiled glory-hungry Blues.
After winning the treble, Man City will set their sights set on more silverware this season, with the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup up for grabs.
Guardiola’s side will be chasing seven major honours next season, and it would be unwise to bet against them and their chances of upgrading their treble to a septuple.
Predicted finish: 1st
