2023–24 Manchester City F.C. season: Difference between revisions

129th Manchester City F.C. season

Manchester City 2023–24 football season

The 2023–24 season is the 129th season in the existence of Manchester City Football Club and their 22nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football, where they are competing as three-time defending champions. As reigning continental treble winners, Manchester City are participating in seven competitions this season, namely the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Champions League; entering the latter for the 13th consecutive season and as defending champions for the first time; UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup; also making their debut in the latter two tournaments.

City kicked off the unprecedented season on 6 August 2023 by losing the Community Shield for the third consecutive year, this time to Arsenal. They drew 1–1 in normal time, having conceded an eleventh-minute injury time equaliser and lost the subsequent penalty shoot-out 1–4. As such, the Blues have lost out on an opportunity to become only the third European men’s club to win the sextuple.^[1] City clinched their first trophy of the season ten days later, on 16 August, in another one-off match, overcoming Sevilla on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra time for the club’s first-ever UEFA Super Cup.^[2] On 27 September, the Blues were knocked out of the League Cup in the third round by Newcastle United following a 1–0 away loss.^[3] On 22 December, City defeated Fluminense 4–0 in the Club World Cup final to win the competition for the first time, becoming the first English club to hold five major domestic and international titles simultaneously.^[4]

The season is the first since 2015–16 without German midfielder and former club captain İlkay Gündoğan, who departed to Barcelona at the end of his contract in the summer.

Supplier: Puma / Sponsor: Etihad Airways

Season summary[edit]

Pre-season[edit]

In the aftermath of their historic continental treble-winning season in 2022–23, City’s main squad issues ahead of the new season were whether incumbent club captain İlkay Gündoğan would sign a new contract or leave the club on a free transfer after seven successful years;^[5] if Kyle Walker would be transferred ahead of his final contract year;^[6] whether Aymeric Laporte would be leaving for more playing time, following a season in which he had fallen down the pecking order for central defenders;^[7] and, after several years of pre-season speculation, if Bernardo Silva could attract an acceptable fee to allow him to move away from Manchester too.^[8]

It was rumoured that City were in transfer talks with Mateo Kovačić from Chelsea and with Joško Gvardiol from RB Leipzig as potential replacements for Gündoğan and Laporte, respectively.^[9]

On 21 June, it was announced that Gündoğan would be joining Barcelona on the expiration of his contract after all. His last action as a City player was therefore lifting the club’s first Champions League trophy as team captain.^[10] On the same day, it was reported that Manchester City had agreed a fee with Chelsea for the transfer of Kovačić.^[11]

To further strengthen the team’s midfield, City also entered a bidding race with Arsenal for West Ham‘s Declan Rice, a player similar in profile to Rodri. The club’s first offer of £80 million guaranteed plus £10 million in add-ons was rejected by West Ham.^[12][13] Man City pulled out of the race to sign Rice, after West Ham rejected Arsenal’s bid of £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons, instead opting to find other players to strengthen their midfield, first being linked with Celta Vigo‘s Gabri Veiga.^[14][15]

Kovačić’s transfer was duly announced on 27 June, for a reported initial fee of £25m plus £5m in potential add-ons.^[16]

On 28 July, City announced Riyad Mahrez was leaving the club after five successful years to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Professional League for a £30 million fee. He was one of many high-profile players in their thirties attracted by lucrative contract offers to join the Saudi league that summer.^[17]

The transfer of Gvardiol was confirmed on 5 August after several weeks of negotiations with Leipzig for a reported fee of €90 million (£77.5 million).^[18] The club confirmed he would take the 24 shirt number for the season, last worn by John Stones during his first year at City.^[19]

The Blues started their pre-season preparations some one to two weeks later than their main rivals to account for their late finish to the previous treble-winning campaign. City played three friendly warm-up games in a tour of Japan and South Korea, where they defeated Yokohama F. Marinos, a fellow CFG club, and Bayern Munich, but lost to Atlético Madrid.

Start of season[edit]

City suffered a defeat for the third consecutive season in their opening competitive fixture, losing the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal after a 1–1 draw in normal time at Wembley Stadium on 6 August. Cole Palmer had scored…