Premier League champions Manchester City will be looking to build on their domestic double from last season and retain the title for the second time in their history.
In a 2020-21 campaign like no other, Pep Guardiola's men climbed back to the summit, finishing 12 points clear of their crosstown rivals Manchester United in second place, as well a lifting the EFL Cup for a fourth successive year.
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City enter the new season as the bookmakers' favourites for the title, though competition will certainly be fierce, with the likes of United, Chelsea and Liverpool all vying to knock the Sky Blues off their perch.
Guardiola will, however, have the confidence in himself and his players to claim a fourth top-flight crown in five years.
Here, Sports Mole previews Man City's 2021-22 campaign and takes an in-depth look at what the supporters can expect during the course of the season.
FIXTURES
For the fifth successive year, Man City will kick off their Premier League campaign away from home, with an intriguing trip to Tottenham Hotspur on August 15. The Citizens hold an impressive record on the opening day, not tasting defeat since 2008 and winning each of their last ten.
Guardiola's men complete the month of August with home clashes against newly-promoted Norwich City and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. City will then prepare for challenging encounters against Chelsea and Liverpool in September and October respectively, before the first Manchester Derby of the season on November 6 against their bitter United rivals at Old Trafford.
Leicester City will head to the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day, before City make a trip to the Emirates on New Year's day. Potentially crucial home clashes against Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool are then to come in February, March and April.
City's campaign will conclude on May 22 with a home encounter against Aston Villa. The Premier League title has been secured on the final day eight times in the division's history, with City clinching the trophy on each of the last three occasions in 2012, 2014 and 2019.
> Click here to see all of Manchester City's 2021-22 fixtures
SUMMER SIGNINGS
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In
Jack Grealish (£100m, Aston Villa)
Scott Carson (free transfer, Derby County)
Out
Angelino (£16.2m, RB Leipzig)
Jack Harrison (£11.5m, Leeds United)
Lukas Nmecha (£7.2m, Wolfsburg)
Sergio Aguero (free transfer, Barcelona)
Eric Garcia (free transfer, Barcelona)
Adrian Bernabe (free transfer, Parma)
Arijanet Muric (loan, Adana Demirspor)
Marlos Moreno (loan, KV Kortrijk)
Issa Kabore (loan, Troyes)
Filip Stevanovic (loan, Heerenveen)
Ryotaro Meshino (loan, Estoril Praia)
Total spent to date: £100m
Total received to date: £34.9m
Net transfer balance: -£65.1m
SQUAD
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Goalkeepers: Ederson, Zack Steffen, Scott Carson
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, Philippe Sandler
Midfielders: Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Phil Foden, Patrick Roberts
Forwards: Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Ferran Torres, Riyad Mahrez
> Click here for full details of Man City's 2021-22 squad
STRONGEST XI
STAR PLAYER – Kevin De Bruyne
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Not only is Kevin De Bruyne City's main man, but he is arguably the best player in the Premier League and one of the finest midfielders in world football. Even when incorporated in a team full of stars, the Belgian is still able to stand out above everyone in Guardiola's side.
Despite missing 13 Premier League matches last year, largely due to injury, the 29-year-old managed to notch up 18 goal contributions in 25 league games, and claimed his third English top-flight medal.
As a result, De Bruyne won the PFA Player of the Year award for the second successive season, an impressive feat that only Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry have achieved previously.
The creative genius, who is known for his ability to provide assists, is expected to deliver once again this term, but it is possible that we could see the playmaker rise up the scoring charts as well.
If City are unable to sign a striker such as Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane this summer, then the Sky Blues will go into the new campaign with only one senior striker in the form of Gabriel Jesus. De Bruyne featured several times in a false nine position last season ahead of Jesus, and this is where we could see the Belgian play more regularly.
De Bruyne's presence in a central role would certainly not hinder his ability to create chances, though there would be more reliance on him to covert as well as create opportunities, a task the Belgian is more than capable of doing.
MANAGER – Pep Guardiola
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Pep Guardiola added two more pieces of silverware to his CV last season, winning the Premier League title and the EFL Cup, which has taken his career tally as a manager to an impressive 31 major trophies.
Regarded as one of the greatest managers in the modern era, the Spaniard is still hungry for more success and is keen to achieve that with Man City, as he embarks on his sixth season at the helm.
With incredible strength in depth, the Pep roulette is set to be in full swing once again this season, as the Citizens compete on all fronts for major silverware.
Winning the Premier League has always been a priority for the 50-year-old ever since his arrival in 2016, but getting his hands on the Champions League trophy is also very high on the agenda for both himself and for the club.
Last season's Manager of the Year trusts his players, trusts his philosophy and he will be confident of more success this campaign.
LAST SEASON – 1st - Champions
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After winning successive top-flight titles in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Man City fell short to Liverpool in 2019-20, but were able to bounce back immediately to win the league last term.
The Citizens had a slow start to the 2020-21 season, winning just three of their opening eight league games, which was Guardiola's worst ever start to a league campaign since becoming a manager.
However, City found their form midway through the season, with a narrow 1-0 win over Southampton in December the start of a staggering 21-game winning run across all competitions – including 15 league victories – which was eventually ended by Manchester United in March.
Despite losing in the FA Cup semi-finals to Chelsea, Guardiola's men went on to win their fourth successive EFL Cup just a week later, beating Spurs 1-0 at Wembley in April. Then, a 4-1 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain shortly followed, earning them a place in their first ever Champions League final.
City's fifth Premier League title was then sewn up when Man United lost at home to Leicester City on May 11. The Sky Blues went on to finish 12 points clear of their city rivals with 86 points, ending the league campaign with the most goals scored and fewest conceded. All their efforts were then channelled towards the Champions League final; however, their encounter in Porto ended in disappointing fashion as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.
Nevertheless, it was another campaign that City can be proud of, winning a domestic cup double as well as breaking several records along the way. The club were also given a whole host of accolades, with the Premier League Player and Young Player of the Year awards handed to Ruben Dias and Phil Foden respectively, while six City players were named in the PFA Team of the Year.
PREDICTION
There is no hiding the fact that Manchester City are after a new number nine this summer, though failing to recruit a player for this position should not have an impact on their title defence.
The acquisition of Jack Grealish has already added more quality to an incredibly strong squad that is expected to challenge in all four major competitions this campaign.
Key players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden are set to miss the first few weeks of the season due to injury, but Guardiola has other options he can turn to in the meantime.
With their rivals having also recruited well, winning the Premier League by such a large margin, as in previous years, is unlikely, though City will be a force to be reckoned with once again next term and are rightly favourites to retain their crown.
VERDICT: 1st - Champions
