Manchester City enter the new season in myriad unfamiliar ways. They are not going into the new campaign as defending champions after Liverpool emerged victorious last term and prevented Pep Guardiola's side from winning five Premier League titles on the bounce. Even more significantly, they will have to do without Kevin De Bruyne after more than a decade in Manchester that saw the Belgian become one of the game's true greats. He has departed for Napoli, and City will have to do without the services of a midfielder who ranks alongside any who have ever kicked a football.

Last season began with a Community Shield win over local rivals Manchester United but silverware was in short supply thereafter, the club suffering a staggering run of form that saw them struggle to win games early in the season. City recovered enough to finish in third place but were beaten in the FA Cup final by Crystal Palace, one of the biggest shocks in the storied history of the competition. Ultimately, City are a club aiming to win the league and Champions League every season and, after four successive titles (including a treble-winning season), last term was relatively disastrous.

While one cannot judge too much from the close season, City's exit at the Club World Cup is unlikely to fill the manager with confidence. After winning their group with three victories out of three (including an impressive 5-2 demolition of Juventus), City were eliminated by Al-Hilal, the biggest shock of the tournament. Perhaps it is unfair to read too much into a glorified friendly, but it hardly bodes well ahead of a season where the Citizens will look to wrestle back the domestic title from an ominous Liverpool strengthened by new arrivals. To add insult to injury, Arne Slot has secured the signature of Florian Wirtz for a British record transfer fee after the German rejected the advances of City in favour of Merseyside.

Betfair have City at odds of 10/3 to lift the Premier League trophy in 2026, behind Liverpool and the side who have finished second the last three years in a row, Arsenal. It seems almost surreal to see City not considered favourites for the title after their dominance under Guardiola, and to see two teams with shorter odds feels stranger still. These players have the experience in title races, however, and it would be foolish to rule them out even without talisman De Bruyne. They will certainly hope to improve from last season, the first without major silverware since Guardiola's first campaign in England.

Rodri's absence was undoubtedly a huge reason City lost a staggering nine league games last term and, unfortunately for City supporters, Guardiola believes the injury setback at the Club World Cup could mean his compatriot does not return to action until September. Rodri's fitness, a team hangover from the Club World Cup and the spectre of a verdict in the seemingly never-ending legal case all point to another season that might not see City at their imperious best.

Perhaps because of that case or possibly because Liverpool seem to be on the ascendancy, it is Arne Slot's side who seem to be attracting the biggest names in terms of recruitment. Having said that, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders are significant signings and their manager will hope they adjust to the Premier League quickly to avoid another underwhelming season. This feels like a crucial campaign for the likes of Phil Foden and Oscar Bobb and, if they can begin firing, things will look much rosier at the Etihad. Newcomer Rayan Aït-Nouri has spent the last few years at Wolves, so will not have to adjust to the specific demands of English football.

Still, for all the negativity, Betfair still have Guardiola's team at 2/9 to finish in the top four, perhaps unsurprising given even the relative nightmare of last season ended in a third place for City. They are 9/1 to win the Champions League, which feels like better value given Guardiola has still only managed to win the trophy once since coming to Manchester, and it feels like something of a priority. They are sixth-favourites to lift that particular trophy, but the manager will feel they are a lot better than the sixth-best team in Europe.

This feels like a huge season for City. After years of total domination, it seems as though there has been a major shift, and Liverpool might be on the verge of a dynasty. Guardiola will hope he can vanquish these familiar foes in the way Sir Alex Ferguson did time and again throughout his career when faced with new challenges. Guardiola is unlikely to spend as long in Manchester as Ferguson, and one senses this could be the last major obstacle to overcome in English football, setting aside court cases.

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