City's 2024/25 recap: Midfielders | OneFootball

We continue our focus on the City players involved in our 11-month long 2024/25 first team campaign…

Starting with our Community Shield lift last August, City played 61 times across all competitions through to the Round of 16 elimination at the FIFA Club World Cup.

This time around, we focus on our midfield department, running the rule over each player’s individual campaign plus playing stats…

Bernardo Silva

Total appearances: 52

Goals scored: 6

Assists: 5

City’s Portuguese midfield marvel was again the model of consistency and class.

The 24/25 season was one that threw up numerous challenges for Pep Guardiola’s squad – not least a raft of serious injuries to a host of key personnel.

But through all the highs and lows, Bernardo was a calm, reassuring figure, and a player always willing to put the needs of the team first.

The fact he made the third highest number of appearances spoke volumes about his endurance and mindset.

And Bernardo’s versatility was such that he was deployed in a variety of different positions across the course of the campaign.

His standing and importance to the cause was then further emphasised when the boss revealed Bernardo would be captain going into the 2025/26 season.

File under class act.

Mateo Kovacic

Total appearances: 42

Goals scored: 7

Assists: 4

The Croatian brought his vast experience, maturity and big game knowledge to bear throughout the season.

And his importance to the City cause was only further illustrated when Rodrigo was ruled out long term in late September with an ACL injury.

More often that not Kovacic was entrusted with occupying that key holding midfield role, a task he performed with huge distinction.

Amongst the 31-year-old’s standout displays were a bravura performance in April’s FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest.

He also weighed in with a number of key goals – not least a vital brace in September’s 3-2 Premier League win at home to Fulham.

Ilkay Gundogan

Total appearances: 54

Goals scored: 5

Assists: 8

Having made an emotional return to the Etihad in the summer of 2024 after a year-long stint at Barcelona, one of the most talented and popular players to ever represent City quickly got back in the old routine.

The fact that Gundo would go on to make the second highest number of appearances over the season, with only Josko Gvardiol figuring more often, was further proof positive of his enduring quality and reliability.

Indeed, as the season wore on, Ilkay’s talent, technique and adaptability again made him a key component in Pep Guardiola’s side.

It was a campaign that saw the German deployed in both central, attacking and defensive midfield roles, all to impressive effect.

A spectacular overhead goal in our 2-0 win away at Fulham on the last day of the league season helped both seal City’s ticket to the Champions League and summed up Ilkay’s enduring talent.

Phil Foden

Total appearances: 49

Goals scored: 13

Assists: 7

Having enjoyed by common consent the finest season of his career in 2023/24 where he was instrumental in helping City secure a historic fourth straight Premier League title, last term showed that our Academy graduate can marry huge reservoirs of mental fortitude alongside his prodigious natural talent.

Foden’s early impact was interrupted by both illness and injury before he and his Etihad colleagues were then hit by a sequence of tough results in the late autumn.

Rather than being cowed by a challenging and unfamiliar landscape, Foden and City simply dug deep and demonstrated the inner core that underpins the very best.

Free of injury, a brilliant run of six Premier League goals in four games during January once again showcased Foden at his impish, inspirational best.

And though an ankle injury impeded his impact towards the end of the league season, some dazzling displays at the Club World Cup offered a tantalising reminder of all that a refreshed and rejuvenated Foden brings to the City cause.

It all bodes well as we gear up ahead of rigours of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rodri

Total appearances: 8

Goals scored: 0

Assists: 1

By any barometer the 2024/25 season was one that saw our brilliant holding midfielder experience both the highest of highs and lowest of lows that football is capable of conjuring up.

Having started the season in imperious fashion, the Spanish international then suffered the agony of sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury during September’s eventful 2-2 Premier League draw at home to Arsenal.

It was a cruel and savage setback which led to the 29-year-old spending virtually the remainder of the season on the sidelines.

However, barely six weeks after being forced off, Rodri’s influence and impact was recognised on the highest stage of all when he was voted as the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner – becoming the first City player to be awarded the game’s most prestigious prize.

It was fitting recognition of his supreme talent and application – but also a reminder of all that City missed for the majority of the campaign.

Small wonder then that his return from the bench after almost nine months on the sidelines during Kevin De Bruyne’s emotional Etihad finale against Bournemouth in May was greeted with universal acclaim.

Here’s hoping Rodri’s return next term will see him go from strength to strength.

Kevin De Bruyne

Total appearances: 40

Goals scored: 6

Assists: 8

The sight of a packed Etihad paying universal homage and acclaim to Kevin De Bruyne on an emotion-drenched night in May served as arguably THE defining image of City’s 2024/25 campaign.

After 10 incredible, success-laden years at City, the brilliant Belgian took his final home leave ahead of embarking on a new chapter in his career in Italy with Napoli.

By common consent, the 34-year-old will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to represent City.

So, it was only fitting KDB went out a winner on that Etihad farewell, the captain helping Pep Guardiola’s side to a 3-1 win that all but secured our ticket to next season’s Champions League before then being afforded a moving farewell ceremony.

He leaves behind a lifetime of precious memories – and the gratitude of everyone lucky enough to see King Kev in his pomp.

Nico

Total appearances: 17

Goals scored: 2

Assists: 0

One of a quartet of exciting arrivals during the January transfer window, the second half of the 2024/25 season saw the Spanish midfielder smoothly bed into the City squad.

Capable of operating as either a holding, central or attacking midfielder, the 23-year-old showed why he will be a key addition to Pep Guardiola’s options in the engine room.

Nico also weighed in with a maiden Premier League goal in our final home game of the season against Bournemouth after registering his first strike in City colours in Champions League round of 16 play-off second led clash away at Real Madrid.

Having fully integrated himself into the City squad, Nico will now be looking to kick on once more with the advent of the 2025/26 season.

James McAtee

Total appearances: 27

Goals scored: 7

Assists: 0

One of the most naturally talented and creative midfield talents to have emerged from City’s famed Academy, McAtee gained a host of priceless elite level experience across the 2024/25 campaign.

The 22-year-old also demonstrated his attacking flair, weighing in with seven goals across all competitions, the undoubted highlight being a maiden senior hat-trick in January’s 6-0 FA Cup third round triumph at home to Salford City.

A memorable campaign was then rounded off in June when McAtee captained England’s Under-21s to a successful defence to the European Under-21 Championships in the Czech Republic.

What's more, James was also named player of the match in the Young Lions’ 3-2 final victory against Germany.

Oscar Bobb

Total appearances: 6

Goals scored: 1

Assists: 1

The cruel and fickle nature of football was graphically illustrated when Oscar Bobb sustained a serious leg injury during a training session in mid-August.

Having made a stunning initial breakthrough across the 2023/24 season, the Norwegian international was all set to kick on again after hugely impressing on our summer 2024 tour to the United States.

A stunning subsequent display in our Community Shield victory against Manchester United only served to further whet the supporters’ appetite.

Instead that injury conspired to leave the 21-year-old sidelined for the majority of the season.

After a careful period of rest and rehabilitation, Bobb made a welcome return from the bench in April’s Premier League home win over Leicester.

He then looked sharp, refreshed and focused during our recent Club World Cup campaign in the United States, all of which has only served to heighten the sense of anticipation about Bobb’s prospective impact looking to the new season.

Claudio Echeverri

Total appearances: 3

Goals scored: 1

Assists: 0

At just 19 years of age, the Argentine teenage talent is very much one for the future.

But a breathless and captivating late cameo in the 2025 FA Cup final allied to a memorable FIFA Club World Cup outing served to suggest that Echeverri is capable of great things at City.

Summoned from the bench at Wembley in May’s showpiece against Crystal Palace, Echeverri produced a barnstorming 15 minute twice nearly scoring to level affairs and carrying a real threat every time he got on the ball.

That impact was replicated in the States where a humdinger of a first half showing against Al Ain was capped with a sweetly struck free-kick before injury led to his early exit.

It all serves to increase the excitement looking to next season and beyond.