Manchester City have undergone a major overhaul in the summer of 2022 as the league champions announced the arrivals attacking superstars Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, as well as Kalvin Phillips while stalwarts Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko headed towards the exit door.
2021/22 season: 1st position | Most goals scored | Fewest goals conceded
Although City bottled another Champions League run with their semi-final defeat to Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s side defended their Premier League crown last season. Manchester City secured their fourth league title in the past five seasons on a dramatic final day that saw them overcome a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa in the last 15 minutes, helping them pip Liverpool to the title by a solitary point.
Incomings
1. Erling Haaland – £54 million (Borussia Dortmund)
2. Julian Alvarez – £15 million (River Plate)
3. Kalvin Phillips – £44 million (Leeds United)
Outgoings
1. Gabriel Jesus – £45 million (Arsenal)
2. Oleksandr Zinchenko – £32 million (Arsenal)
3. Raheem Sterling – £50 million (Chelsea)
4. Pedro Porro – £7 million (Sporting)
5. Ko Itakura – £4 million (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Manchester City made the biggest statement of the summer with the addition of one of the best players in the world, Erling Haaland. Having failed in their pursuit of Harry Kane last year, the Cityzens turned their attention to the Norwegian phenom, signing the 21-year-old striker for a sum of £54 million – the actual cost of this deal may be 3x that amount when considering agents fees + wages.
However, despite adding Haaland and the hugely exciting Julian Alvarez, City have also made a slight step backwards this summer in attack with the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, two outstanding players that can stretch the pitch vertically and press from the front. Manchester City have also lost left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal and are yet to replace the Ukrainian, with their pursuit of Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella falling flat in recent weeks.
Staring XI – BOLD
Players in red are likely to leave this summer
Ederson – Best ball-playing keeper in the world but weak vs long-range 1v1s and doesn’t make clutch saves
Kyle Walker – Don’t ask him to overlap or attack, but he is the biggest defensive cheat code in the league
Joao Cancelo – Inverse Walker; can’t defend but can do everything else
John Stones – World class on his day but has only started 46 league games in the last three seasons!
Ruben Dias – True leader, slightly overrated defender but adds plenty of value in City’s system
Aymeric Laporte – One of the top 3 CBs on the ball in the world
Nathan Ake – Adds utility as a left-footer who can cover at LB, but can’t be a starting CB for a title-winning team
Rodri – Most underrated player in the squad, three years of Guardiola coaching at CDM has made him one of the best in the world
Kalvin Phillips – Fits the exact profile City needs at CDM, slightly one-dimensional though
Kevin de Bruyne – Transition monster, lethal ball-striker, and is pretty good at other stuff too
Bernardo Silva – The most press-resistant player in world football
Ilkay Gundogan – 21 goals from midfield in last two title-winning seasons, can also dictate the tempo from CDM, priceless commodity
Phil Foden – City’s most important player this season after KDB and Rodri
Jack Grealish – Had a better season than given credit for last year – 0.53 npxG is decent for year one at City
Riyad Mahrez – You know he’s going to cut inside, but you can’t stop him
Julian Alvarez – Will be the biggest surprise in the PL this season, readymade goal scorer
Erling Haaland – Will bag 25+ goals this season if his body can hold up for 38 games
If their starting XI stays fit, City have more than enough quality to win an unprecedented third league title in a row. However, the biggest concern ahead of the start of the season is the lack of numbers in their squad. The 2022/23 campaign includes the FIFA World Cup sandwiched between the league season, and injuries and depth could have a huge role to play in determining the champions come May.
Over the past five seasons, City have been heralded as the poster boys for incredible squad depth, with two world-class players in each position. However, in the past eight months, Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho and Oleksandr Zinchenko have departed without being adequately replaced.
As the squad depth chart above shows, City only have two full-backs in the squad, while Riyad Mahrez is the only specialist right-winger at the club – Cole Palmer and Alvarez can both play there, but it isn’t their best position. There is still time left in the window for City to make additions, but Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to replace Zinchenko or Sterling/Jesus, and if they don’t spend some money before deadline day, you would be worried as a City fan for their ability to make a sustained title push domestically and in Europe.
Predicted finish: 1st
[Featured Image Credit: Manchester City]
Shivaan Shah