Manchester City have invested £320m in new players in 2025, including a record £180m in the January window, as part of Pep Guardiola's ambitious overhaul. The club, which won 18 trophies in nine years under Guardiola, finished last season without a trophy for only the second time in his tenure. Despite a dominant 4-0 opening-day win over Wolves, subsequent defeats to Spurs and Brighton have raised concerns about the team's form.
Guardiola's tactical system relies heavily on Rodri, whose cruciate knee ligament injury last September sidelined the Ballon d'Or winner for most of the season. Without him, City lost nine of their remaining 33 games, their worst return since 2015-16. Guardiola had previously called Rodri 'irreplaceable', and the team's struggles without him were evident in defensive metrics: expected goals conceded from fast breaks rose from 2.4 per season to 8.1 last season.
New signings Nico González and Tijjani Reijnders, costing almost £100m, have yet to restore midfield stability. City have dropped points due to familiar vulnerabilities, including failed pressing that leaves the defence exposed. Goals conceded against Spurs and Brighton followed similar patterns, with opponents exploiting gaps created by pulled full-backs.
City currently rank ninth in the league for possession won in the final third and 13th for passes per defensive action. Guardiola's 'resting' football, which relies on controlled possession to maintain defensive shape, has been compromised. Fans will need patience as the team adapts to the manager's radical overhaul.
