Pep revived by his younger, faster, stronger City 3.0

Summer rebuild has turned ageing squad into title hopefuls

- RICHARD JOLLY

It was the summer that brought a break with the past. Pep Guardiola parted company with an ally for decades, as well as with much of his great side. Txiki Begiristain, his Barcelona teammate, his director of football at the Nou Camp and then Manchester City, headed off into retirement. One way or another, whether loaned out, sold, or their contracts simply not renewed, six of City's Champions League winners headed off. It was farewell to Ederson, Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, a six-man group who included three City captains.

City got three goals and three points against Liverpool on Sunday. Guardiola's team included only three who had started the 2023 Champions League final: Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland. The shift from one generation to another was first delayed; then it came at double speed. Of the other eight, Phil Foden came off the bench against Inter Milan in Istanbul. Nico O'Reilly was at City then, but had never made a senior appearance. Three more were signed in the summer of 2023: Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku. Nico Gonzalez arrived in the winter window of 2025, Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma at either end of the summer. This is City 3.0, where the only starter in his thirties is the new captain, Silva.