This is a new-look Manchester City team that needs time to develop together | OneFootball

The beginning of the 25/26 season has been frustrating for Manchester City. The gloss of City’s 4-nil win over Wolves on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season has come off after back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton. Heading into the international break, it is clear that Pep Guardiola’s new-look side needs time to grow together. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the number of players that have come into and left the Manchester City squad this summer.

The new-look Manchester City squad has had teething problems to open the new season.

Manchester City were busy in the transfer market this summer. They signed Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, James Trafford, Sverre Nypan, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. That is a host of new players who have to adjust to life at Manchester City. In the case of Sverre Nypan, he has moved to Middlesbrough on loan for this season. Marcus Bettinelli has been signed to take the Scott Carson role. Looking at Ait-Nouri, Cherki, Reijnders, Trafford, and Donnarumma, they will need time to grow into their roles in Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, and Ilkay Gundogan have all left Manchester City this summer. Each player has been integral to Manchester City’s era of dominance. They all played a key role for Pep Guardiola’s side and replacing their best attributes as players will take time. There is also a leadership void in the City squad that needs to be replaced. That has stood out in Manchester City’s first three games this season.

On the pitch, Pep Guardiola’s side looks like a team learning on the job. That is to be expected given the amount of change that has occurred at the club. There have been moments of brilliance from City, and moments of concern. But there is a sense that Pep Guardiola’s side will click in time. Speaking after Manchester City’s defeat to Brighton on Sunday, Pep Guardiola said: “We changed a lot last season and this season.”

“But we have a firm base, a base which is still really, very good, and the new players are really good too.”

“It’s a question of clicking and finding momentum to start winning games and that is going to happen.”

It is hard to argue with Pep Guardiola’s assessment. Putting so many new pieces together with little to no pre-season has hindered Manchester City. But it is likely to click in time, which is a cause for optimism for what lies ahead.

There have been positives and negatives from Manchester City’s first three games.

In terms of Manchester City’s performances, there have been both positives and negatives to take from their first three games this season. It may not seem that there are many positives to take from City’s matches, given they have won one game and lost two, but the positives are there.

In each of Manchester City’s first three games, they have had spells where they have controlled matches or should’ve at least led or led by more. Against Wolves, this led to a 4-nil win. Pep Guardiola’s side had the better chances against Tottenham before Thomas Frank’s side took the lead. Once Spurs took the lead at the Etihad, that changed the game, and City lost their way. For the first hour against Brighton, Manchester City controlled the hosts before four substitutions from Fabian Hurzeler changed the game. While the manner of Manchester City’s late collapse is a cause for concern, the signs were there that this City team is growing.

Of course, there are areas of concern. Defensive errors and lapses in concentration still plague this City side. Tottenham’s two goals at the Etihad came from errors from Pep Guardiola’s side. Against Brighton, Matheus Nunes inexplicably gave away a penalty for the hosts to equalise. That moment changed the game, and from there, City couldn’t regain control. A catalogue of errors led to Brighton’s late winner on Sunday, and they will need to be rectified going forward.

Another negative is the amount of chances that Pep Guardiola’s side are squandering. This cost them against Tottenham, with Omar Marmoush being the main culprit on that occasion. Erling Haaland squandered several good chances against Brighton, and if they had been taken, the outcome of Sunday’s match could and perhaps should’ve been different.

Summary.

Looking at this new-look Manchester City team, it is clear that they need time to gel and grow. Their first three matches of the 25/26 season have perfectly demonstrated this. While there are massive areas for improvement for Pep Guardiola’s squad to work on, there are positives to emerge from all three games. The overriding feeling is that this City team remains a work in progress and it may take time for it all to come together.