Reality bites but City in good place to challenge again

AT least nobody can expect Manchester City to walk to the Premier League title this season.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

Nobody should ever have done, but six crowns in seven years gave the illusion that everything was easy for Pep Guardiola’s side.

That fantasy was shattered last year as City struggled for months to find their form before finally scraping into third place at the end of a bruising campaign, firmly behind champions Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal. The reputation that City had built up over many years had taken a pummelling.

The board reacted, signing five new players for the squad this summer in addition to young talent Sverre Nypan and on top of a £175million spend in January. Vitor Reis will head out on loan for the season but Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush add to the feeling of change at the Etihad.