Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, have achieved everything in European football. From the Premier League to the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, and finally the Champions League, City have become a team built to dominate. Most especially in the 2022/23 season, when they won the treble, Guardiola’s side reached the heights many teams failed to attain in Europe. However, the 2024/25 season saw them go the entire season without a trophy – a rarity under Pep Guardiola since his arrival in England.
“I have been in the Champions League in the last 13, 14, 15 years, I don’t remember,” Guardiola said in the final weeks of last season. If we are not, then we don’t deserve it, we’ll play in the Europa League. It is what it is.
“I’m thinking we’re going to qualify. I control my mind and I think that. We need two victories or four points.
“The first step is to finish in third position in the Premier League. That is my target. We will give everything to try and do it.”
In the end, they managed to book a place in next season’s Champions League. Guardiola is aware of the importance of the competition, but that is not the level where many City supporters and the hierarchy want to see their team. For many years now, anything less than winning the Premier League would feel like failure for City. That’s how high the bar is now. They’ve won the league six times in the past eight seasons and are always in the conversation before a ball is even kicked. Getting Manchester City tickets for the 2025/2026 season early are important.
But as they head into the 2025/26 season, the expectations remain sky-high. Guardiola’s side is no longer just expected to compete; they’re expected to win, and not just in England, but across Europe too.
One thing Guradiola has enjoyed in his stay is the constant backing from the management. The Spanish coach is fully backed when it comes to player arrivals. Following a quiet summer transfer window in 2024, the Citizens were active in the January window, and they have also continued this summer. City signed Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, and Nico in January, and they have already signed the likes of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Marcus Bettinelli as they head to the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Currently, the Citizens possess an impressive depth, their style of play remains solid, and their manager provides them with an edge that most teams simply can’t match. Guardiola has turned them into a machine — a team that plays with control, rhythm, and patience. Therefore, the expectation is not only to win but to do so in a way that shows their superiority.
Following Liverpool’s dominant win in the Premier League last season, Manchester City winning the Premier League again will not be easy. Arsenal have been runners-up in three consecutive seasons, while Chelsea’s young squad is beginning to grow into maturity. Liverpool is also not relenting, as they have been active in the market and securing some quality players.
Regardless of what the other clubs are doing, the target for Manchester City is clear — reclaim the title. The pressure is always on, and it is not different this time around. Even when they have injuries or go through a slow start, the assumption is that they’ll bounce back. That’s what makes expectations at City different from other clubs. There is no space for excuses. The 2024/25 season was a blip, and no two seasons are the same. Guardiola’s side missed the influential Rodrigo in the middle of the park, but he is back now, and that should give them some solidity.
In the domestic cups( FA Cup and League Cup), City will be expected to reach the latter stages, if not win them outright. Although both cups do not carry the same weight as the Champions League or Premier League, they are still valuable.
In the Champions League, Manchester City reached the pinnacle by winning it for the first time in 2023 when they defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in a keenly contested final.
“I’m tired, calm and satisfied. It’s so difficult to win,” said Guardiola after the game back in 2023. “It was written in the stars. It belongs to us.”
“It is an honour for me to be alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. I got a message from him this morning and it is an honour,” added Guardiola.
“People say I have to win trebles every season. I am a good manager, but no. I like this competition for the fact we won it, it is part of history and players will be remembered for the rest of their lives.
“But now give credit for the five Premier Leagues won in six years. It is important now that people don’t forget what we have done. Maybe they can create a museum so the fans can look at the trophies.”
After securing that missing piece in City’s trophy cabinet, the demand is to stay at that level. The subsequent seasons have not brought them close. But they will be aiming to go far in the competition in the 2025/26 season. With the kind of spending and squad quality of Manchester City, one Champions League is not enough. Fans and the club’s hierarchy want more. There’s a belief that City should be a regular feature in the final stages of the competition — not just making semi-finals or finals but winning again and again.
Pep Guardiola has two years left on his current contract at Manchester City, and he will be keen to make the most of the coming season. He has achieved it all with the team before, but he needs to keep winning and push his players to achieve the desired results. The expectation from him next season is simple — maintain the hunger, keep the players motivated, and go again.
In the end, expectations from Manchester City and Guardiola are unlike those at most clubs. This is a team that doesn’t just want to win — they want to make history. The 2025/26 season will be a test of endurance, motivation, and evolution. Guardiola’s brilliance, the squad’s quality, and the club’s vision have brought them this far. But in football, staying at the top is harder than getting there. And that’s what will define Manchester City in 2025/26 — not whether they can win, but whether they can win again. And again.