Will City be winners on and off the pitch in 2026?
- davidjwalker1
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
When Liverpool splurged nearly half-a-billion pounds in the summer, perceived wisdom had it that Slot’s machine would hit the jackpot and retain their Premier League crown.
As title defences go, it’s been a million miles away from a walk in the Stanley Park, a situation splendidly epitomised by the Pharoah of Formby claiming he’d been thrown under the bus – an analogy sure to resonate with a fan base, more used to throwing bricks at that particular mode of transport.
With the dramatic dip in the Scousers fortunes, the pundits quickly switched their ‘expert’ forecasts to Arteta’s big spenders (nearly £300m in the last transfer window) – after all they were ‘gunner’ win the league twice over in 2023 and 2024, before Manchester City shot them down.
Having added the likes of Zubimendi, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres to their armoury, Arsenal are undoubtedly a different proposition to the perennial bottlers of recent times. They top the Champions League with a 100 per cent record and, to all intent and purposes, they’re supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread – no disrespect to Warburtons, Hovis, supermarket own-brands et al.
And yet City – having suffered four Premier League defeats before Christmas – are only two points behind the table toppers.
Throw in the fact they’ve already been to the Emirates and emerged with a precious point – albeit after deploying a most unlike Guardiola piece of bus parking – and you begin to wonder if Pep could conceivably be on for a magnificent seventh PL title in 10 years.
Demolishing Liverpool 3-0 in what was Guardiola’s 1,000th game in management, gave rise to optimism that a City team undeniably in transition, could yet challenge for the top honours.
The last infernal international break of the year came along immediately after, but the Blue Moon was on an upward trajectory. Remarkably, City’s contingent of players returned virtually unscathed from the World Cup qualifiers.
It counted for nothing as a PGMOL one-two of match referee, Samuel Barrott and Craig Pawson on VAR, conspired to present Newcastle with a controversial 2-1 win at St. James’ Park.
Injustice was quickly followed by rank ineptitude as Pep made ten changes for the Champions League visit of Bayer Leverkusen.
He is arguably the GOAT, but his team selection was right up there with the idiocy of leaving Rodri and Fernandinho out of the Champions League Final in 2021. It must go down as one of Guardiola’s greatest brain farts in his decade at the Etihad.
What should have been the proverbial home banker turned into a turgid display, devoid of any positives as City went down to an ignominious 2-0 defeat. It was City’s first Champions League group stage defeat at the Etihad since a 2-1 loss to Lyon in September 2018.
Guardiola publicly admitted he’d made too many changes, but is it possible there was method behind his apparent madness?
He’s always enjoyed a great relationship with his bosses, but was he making a point about his perceived lack of depth in his squad?
Answers may or may not be forthcoming when the January transfer window opens.
The rumour mill is forever churning out misinformation and fanciful talk but recruiting players of the calibre of Crystal Palace’s England centre back, Marc Guehi – available on a free transfer in the summer – Nottingham Forest’s highly-rated midfielder, Elliott Anderson and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, would be a massive boost in City’s pursuit of major titles.
It was all change when lowly Leeds came to the Etihad. Having raced into a 2-0 lead and been completely dominant in the first half, City got sloppy as they were pinned back to 2-2.
Phil Foden rescued the three points in added time.
And then came the utter bedlam of Fulham away – talk about the sublime to the ridiculous.
Guardiola cites Johan Cruyff – the brilliant Dutchman, a Barcelona legend, both as a player and later as Guardiola’s manager at the Nou Camp – as his mentor, the man who shaped Pep’s football philosophy.
An architect of the ‘total football’ approach so successfully deployed by the Netherlands national team in the 1970s, Cruyff was once quoted as saying he’d’, ‘…rather win 5-4 than 1-0…’
He probably wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic about such a result if his team had been 5-1 up.
City’s 5-4 victory personified a more cavalier approach, one where Pep has compromised on the mainstays of his tactical strategy, those of dominating possession and controlling the tempo of games.
He hasn’t gone full-on Kevin Keegan-esque with a ‘We’ll score more than you and never mind the defending’ mode, but no longer are City wholly reliant on the tenets of Cruyff’s tiki-taka style, subsequently perfected by Guardiola.
Of course, the Catalan genius will never jettison his time-honoured template for success – the intricate, quick passing and intelligent off-the-ball movements, aligned with a high pressing game when not in possession – but last season’s drop off in tempo and trophies meant something had to change.
Ederson’s departure and the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, has seen a higher percentage of long balls from the back, a development which sits comfortably with one of Erling Haaland’s primary traits – running at and terrifying opposing defences.
An injection of guile and pace via the likes of Rayan Cherki, a rejuvenated Foden, the irrepressible Nico O’Reilly and the transformed dynamism of Jeremy Doku, now combine to make City a more explosive force.
The trade off is one whereby the defence is more susceptible to conceding, hence a 5-4 win is easier on the eye, if not the blood pressure.
That said, the last week or so has seen the emergence of a more settled backline comprising Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol and O’Reilly.
Clean sheets have been thin on the ground this season, but impressive shutouts against Sunderland and Crystal Palace – with three going in at the other end on both occasions – has given City a superior goal difference over Arsenal.
Nunes has gradually grown into the unaccustomed right back slot, whereas O’Reilly has been outstanding on the opposite flank during his meteoric rise to England international status.
Pep still has defensive options in the shape of Khusanov, Ake, Ait Nouri and Stones – the latter who’d be a nailed-on starter, if only he could stay fit – but getting Guehi would be an astute signing.
Nico Gonzalez is performing ever more manfully in the No 6 role. He’s finding his feet and bringing more physicality to the midfield, but the return of a robust Rodri – whenever that might be – would add a new dimension to the team.
The fact City are well in touch at the top of the table without the Ballon d’Or winner makes his return even more mouthwatering.
Guardiola will be encouraged by the resilience of his team to absorb and negate pressure – never more so than when taking down the shameless cheats of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium.
In what has now become a perennial contest – City have been paired with Real in each of the last five Champions League campaigns – it might come as a surprise that the self-proclaimed ‘Kings of the Champions League’ hold only a one-win advantage from 15 clashes.
What a glorious sight it was to behold, as an O’Reilly equaliser and Haaland penalty shutdown the snide, snarling, scum of Messrs Rudiger, Bellingham, Vinicius Jnr, Valverde, Asencio…the list goes on.
Referee Clement Turpin – he may as well have been called Dick for more reasons than one – as he went about his work, trying to rob City and provide assists for Los Blancos.
The irony wasn’t lost on the travelling supporters that it was two VAR interventions which prevented the French dick from inflicting some serious damage.
He hastily and incorrectly awarded Vinicius a penalty, before denying City a spot kick after the repulsive Rudiger wrestled Haaland to the ground.
The 2-1-win leaves sees City well placed for a top eight automatic qualification place to the knockout stages.
Having qualified for the Champions League for 15 consecutive seasons, it’s a competition that has served City well financially, but last season’s early exit – knocked out by none other than Real Madrid – contributed to a fiscal downturn.
It’s a measure of City’s incredible success that finishing third in the Premier League and an FA Cup Final appearance is viewed as a big disappointment. Despite there being no silverware, the club still posted revenues just shy of £700m in 2024/25 – the third highest in their history.
Reflecting on last season, City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “I believe we may look back on this year as one that was pivotal for the ongoing and long-term strengthening of the Club.
“Our focus on continuous improvement did not diminish in any way, and the season saw everyone across the organisation remain committed to the ongoing evolution of City on and off the pitch.”
Off the pitch the £300m North Stand development and Entertainment Destination project continued apace, with the expanded North Stand scheduled to open before the end of this season.
Khaldoon added: “In the world’s most competitive league, no team can expect to win every year, and I'm confident the lessons from challenges we have faced over the last 12 months will only make us stronger as a Club; make our future successes even more rewarding..."
Any future success will inevitably be shaped by the biggest non-event of 2025 – the much-anticipated verdict on City’s 115/130 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
The independent tribunal finished in December 2024 and now – a year on – has still to deliver a verdict. It’s beyond farcical, it's a disgrace.
Khaldoon & Co remain fiercely confident that they will win the case, clear City’s name and entertain the prospect of launching lawsuits for defamation and loss of earnings.
Were that to happen – along with a welcome return to bagging silverware – next year’s annual report will make for very interesting reading.
Dedication...
To a very, very special lady, Edna Jayne Walker, the woman who brought me into this world, taught me right from wrong and helped shape me with a love unconditional every step of the way. It's the little things that catch me out - a quick call to celebrate a City win or just checking in to see how she's doing. She'll live on in my heart forever...miss you Ma xx
by David Walker
‘X’ @ReadButNeverRed @djwskyblu
Bluesky @djwskyblu.bsky.social
I love your articles/assessments of recent events, how you pick out, highlight and put into words the thoughts and feelings that I’d had about games but even better is your insight as to events off field! Spot on David and a very moving dedication to your ma straight from the heart. No wonder your articles are so eagerly awaited and read (but never red) by your legion of fans
Yet another great article Mr W.
What a difference from last season for me we are still in the rebuilding stage just further down the road. As you rightly point the two full backs of O'Reilly and Nunes are making the full back position there own. Further up the pitch Nico is establishing himself as a must on the team. Halland well running out of ways to say how good is he. But the biggest plus for me is the return to form of Mr Foden a brilliant sight.
It's time something was said about the charges what the hell is going on with that. As for us getting another title I think Arsenal will be looking over there shoulder's…
Thanks for another great read Mr RBNR
Your Mum will be looking down on you with great pride and love 🩵Thinking of you and your family at this time 🙏