At the Halloween party organized for Manchester City players and their families two days before the match against Bournemouth last Sunday, one of the elements used to decorate the venue was a cinema-style entrance. Inside, the walls were covered with “Wanted” and “Missing” posters with photos of Pep Guardiola's team. Out front, guests, including defender Rúben Dias dressed as Jack Sparrow, were greeted by an old-school theater scene with red velvet curtains and a marquee-shaped sign.
“Now screening: I know what you did last season,” it said, referring to a horror movie.
Injuries and a significant drop in form made the 2024-25 campaign a certified nightmare for a team that won the previous four Premier League titles. Players and staff can now poke fun at themselves, although there is a feeling City are still trying to prove they are fully recovered from the ordeal.
Guardiola has so far refused to allow questions about what his team could achieve this season, and City's start has not revealed much either. There have been victories over Manchester United and Napoli, and a creditable draw with Arsenal, but also defeats against Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa.
However, despite their mixed form, City sit second in the table ahead of Liverpool's visit to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. It's a game that will go some way to revealing whether they're back to being true title contenders or if they're still stuck in the middle of a rebuild.
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To get back to normal, Guardiola is doing things differently. He took the unusual step of canceling training the day before the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, instead giving the players the day off. Dortmund's Bundesliga match against Augsburg had been moved to Friday night to allow them to rest four days before visiting the Etihad. Meanwhile, City were asked to play Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
Guardiola is doing everything he can to avoid a repeat of the injuries that ruined last season. He said he hoped the move, which had to win special approval from UEFA, would also send “a message to the brains” in charge of match scheduling. He is unlikely to get much help on that front, but the extra rest paid off and City beat Dortmund 4-1 to move up to fourth place in the Champions League table.
Off the field there have also been changes. The team has lost more than 1,500 games of experience in the last 12 months with the departures of Éderson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne. It's something that defender Josko Gvardiol says has been particularly notable.
“You can feel it,” he told ESPN. “Many guys are no longer here with us, but this is football. One day you are here, maybe the next day you will be somewhere else and we have to accept it… It's normal. [to have changes to the squad] and everyone on our team is completely professional and everyone takes on their roles, their work, in a really professional way.”
In response, Guardiola has taken more control of the dressing room. Over the summer, he handpicked his captains after years of letting players have their own vote. Having decided that a lack of unity contributed to last season's failures, he chose the leaders himself for the first time in his coaching career.
Things like throwing a Halloween party may seem relatively insignificant, but for Guardiola it is an important part of rebuilding what he missed last season. He has kept a keen eye on spirit and togetherness within the team, but that focus extends to other things he believes are vital to a functioning team, such as body language in training and games.
The loss of so many great personalities in a relatively short space of time has allowed others to step forward to fill the void. Guardiola's new board is led by Bernardo Silva, with the support of Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland.
Bernardo, Dias and Rodri (older and experienced) may have been obvious choices, but choosing Haaland was a surprise. But Guardiola has since said that it was perhaps “the best decision I have ever made.” Haaland has set an example on the pitch with 18 goals and greater defensive diligence. Off the field, Haaland has adapted to his new role. This week, he asked to carry out press duties prior to the game against Dortmund. John Stones was supposed to give the press conference until Haaland volunteered.
As well as comments about being compared to Lionel Messi and possibly breaking Alan Shearer's Premier League goal record, the Norwegian spoke about how much last season hurt him.
“Of course, it's not nice to lose games,” he said. “Losing the cup final, coming third in the Premier League and being knocked out early in the Champions League is not ideal for this club and we all know we have to do better, be more stable and perform when necessary.”
Too often last season, City failed to do so. In addition to the FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace that Haaland refers to, they also lost home and away to Liverpool. Both games ended 2-0 and Arne Slot's team advanced towards the title.
1:22
Are Man City getting back into the title race?
Gab Marcotti analyzes Phil Foden's performance in Man City's 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund as Pep Guardiola's side look to regain their good form.
Amid all the changes at City, there has been one crucial constant. Guardiola dispelled doubts over his future last season by signing a contract extension until the summer of 2027. With Guardiola in his tenth season as City manager, there have been questions over whether he still has the same energy and drive as he had when he arrived in 2016.
Gvardiol said he has no doubts.
“I think it's the same as in the first season,” said the Croatian international. “He's still the one who wants to push us, the one who wants to train something new or work on some things. That's what we like to see, because when you see that the coach is full of enthusiasm, full of energy and ready to work, then of course he lets us know and we are ready to fight too.”
The last time City played Liverpool was in February. It came at the end of a month that had already seen two defeats to Real Madrid and a tough 5-1 loss to Arsenal. Perhaps naturally, Guardiola spoke before the game with an air of dread.
Almost nine months passed and his mood couldn't be more different. Of course, it helps that City have lost just one of their last 13 games. “To be honest, I'm very excited and happy to prepare for Sunday's game,” Guardiola said after the victory over Dortmund. “I really want to play again on Sunday, against Liverpool, and we'll see what happens.”
It is another chance for Guardiola and his players to show that last season's horror show is firmly behind them.
