Manchester City writers have offered their predictions for the 2026/27 season, forecasting a second-place Premier League finish, a run to at least the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and at least one domestic trophy.
Premier League finish
Simon Bajkowski said: "I think they have enough to come second. I don't think we will see too much of a drop-off in terms of performance and with five of the big six changing managers this year there's not been much to suggest any of the teams that were below City last season can move ahead of them. There is of course the ability to push Arsenal for top spot but once again I'm not sure they're going to have the consistency."
Alex James added: "It's very difficult to see anyone other than Arsenal winning the title, albeit there is still plenty of time left in the transfer window. City still have quality aplenty but the amount of turnover at the Etihad leads to obvious questions about consistency. Having said that, it's hard to make a clear case for the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, et al finishing ahead of the Blues. So second it is."
Ross Jackson said: "A nice easy one to start off with. The post-Guardiola drop-off the rest of the Premier League are anticipating and hoping for isn't going to happen. That being said, the squad upheaval this summer is a worry. City have lost a lot of leaders from their dressing room, and so reeling in Arsenal could be tough. I still think they'll be the best of the rest, but another second-place finish is on the cards."
Champions League prospects
Simon Bajkowski said: "Further than Guardiola managed in his final two or three years at the club. Failure to kick on after winning the competition in 2023 was one of the biggest failings of Guardiola's final years at the club and Maresca has a reputation for getting the big decisions right for big games. City should finish in the top eight of the first phase and then make it through to at least the quarter-finals if not deeper."
Alex James said: "City had cup joy last season with a domestic double but again fell short in the Champions League. Maresca arrives having won the Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea and there's a belief that he is a manager capable of orchestrating fine cup runs. PSG lead the way in Europe and the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also more than capable, and that's without mentioning City's domestic rivals. I'll go for quarter-finals."
Ross Jackson said: "One quarter-final appearance from their last three Champions League campaigns doesn't make for great reading. It's nigh-on impossible for any half-decent side to get knocked out in the league phase, and I think City will finish in the top eight. From there they're at the mercy of the draw. I can see them getting as far as the semi-finals but falling at the last four stage."
Trophy hopes
Simon Bajkowski said: "I think so. They have the quality to win at least one of the four trophies they are aiming for and they still have an aura about them in the domestic cup competitions where nobody seems able to touch them. It obviously depends on how they fare in all four competitions but a season without silverware would probably have to be seen as disappointing."
Alex James said: "I'm not sure they will. They absolutely could but I can't see them winning the Premier League or the Champions League so that leaves the domestic cups. The Blues won both last season and have long taken the Carabao Cup seriously so that is probably the best route. But if City go a touch further in Europe than last season, and are knitting together a new squad under a new manager, it's not far-fetched to see them losing two matches in the domestic cups. City should not solely be judged on winning a trophy this year."
Ross Jackson said: "So far I've ruled out Premier League and Champions League glory, but I'm still confident the City trophy cabinet will be furnished with more silverware this season. I'm not going to be as bold as to suggest they will defend both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but at least one of them will remain at the Etihad Stadium. I'll go with the Carabao Cup."
Players to watch
Simon Bajkowski tipped Jeremy Doku: "I'm pretty sure I tipped Tijjani Reijnders to be the surprise at the start of 2026 so that shows how much my opinion is worth, but I think this year can be Jeremy Doku's best year yet. He stepped up last season to be a matchwinner in some important games and is really focused on adding his name into the mix as one of the best wingers in the world. If he can stay fit, Maresca's team looks set up for him to shine."
Alex James said: "Of the senior players I think Doku is the one with the greatest room for further growth and he should thrive in Maresca's winger-focused system. But Ryan McAidoo has the potential to make a real impact and produce a breakout campaign. We've seen glimpses of what he can offer and his performance against Inter Milan on tour showed a player more than capable of holding his own against the big names in Europe. He might not get many Premier League starts, but I can see him having an impact off the bench and shining in the cup competitions."
Ross Jackson said: "Hardly an unknown quantity, but Antoine Semenyo is my pick. He looked electric at times in pre-season, and while he had an off-day against Arsenal in the Community Shield, so did all of his teammates and so I'm not reading too much into that. Semenyo hit the ground running when he arrived in January and he spoke to the Manchester Evening News during City's tour of Asia about how much he was enjoying the role Maresca had asked him to play. 2026/27 could see him go up another level."
Bold predictions
Simon Bajkowski said: "Erling Haaland will score anywhere between 40 and 50 goals in all competitions and it will be greeted with a shrug, while people who should know better continue to judge his contribution by touches per game. You'd think more would have learned by now."
Alex James said: "City will win their first five games and be top heading into the September international break. Everyone seems to think the wheels have come off based on the Community Shield. And while that performance was atrocious, it was only the Community Shield and half the team had only just come back into training. The Blues still possess players of the highest ability and the likes of Haaland and Elliot Anderson will be much better for a full week of training ahead of the opener. The fixtures aren't too bad either, three home games, a Palace side in transition and then a United side who I don't think are as good as everyone thinks."
Ross Jackson said: "Rayan Cherki will break the single-season Premier League assist record. Of course, it was only a few months ago that the record was broken by Bruno Fernandes, but I think there's a chance Cherki could break it just a year on. The Frenchman recorded 12 assists in his maiden Premier League season after making just 19 starts, so if he can impress Maresca early on and make sure that number of league starts is north of 30 this season then I genuinely think he could do it."
All predictions were made before City kicked off their Premier League campaign with two weeks of the transfer window remaining.
