Manchester City has spent more than $500 million over the past 12 months to overhaul an aging squad in a bid to regain the team’s status as the best in England.
On current evidence, it won’t be a quick fix.
A 2-0 derby loss at Manchester United on Saturday was followed by a surprising 3-1 defeat at Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday. Both matches exposed the deficiencies in City’s squad despite the club’s remarkable spending spree that has continued in January with the arrival of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.
Sure, injuries aren’t helping. Pep Guardiola has, for example, been robbed of his entire first-choice defense, with center backs Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones currently injured.
Yet, there are still flaws.
There’s still no real backup to striker Erling Haaland, who might be showing the effects of barely missing a game. He has scored one goal in his last eight matches — and that was a penalty.
Despite all the arrivals, City hasn’t signed a right back to replace Kyle Walker so has been relying on midfielder Matheus Nunes to fill in there. Nunes has done a good job — he is one of City’s most improved players — but is unlikely to be the long-term solution.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: AP/Dave Thompson
Guardiola’s decision to play virtually the same team for the final weeks of 2025 also highlighted his lack of faith in his back-ups, some of whom — like Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, for example — were bought as part of the expensive rebuild.
It all means City’s home match against a last-place Wolverhampton team with just one win all season in the Premier League is no longer a gimme. How could it be given City’s performances over the last week that might rank as among the worst in Guardiola’s decade at the club?
While City has won just two of its last seven matches in all competitions, Wolves is improving and unbeaten in its last five matches.
City starts the league’s 23rd round of games in second place and seven points behind Arsenal, which — in drawing its last two league games against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest — has failed to take full advantage of City’s recent issues.
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, left, and Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Aston Villa in London, Saturday Dec. 27, 2025. Credit: AP/Adam Davy
Key matchups
On Sunday, Arsenal hosts Manchester United, which will look to back up its impressive performance against City and is again likely to play on the counterattack at Emirates Stadium.
Third-place Aston Villa, which is level on points with Man City, travels to Newcastle.
Liverpool is seven points behind City and Villa in fourth place ahead of a trip to Bournemouth.
Players to watch
Because of Man City’s defensive crisis, Marc Guehi is set to be selected for his debut against Wolves. Max Alleyne, a 20-year-old center back brought back from a loan spell at second-tier Watford, should make way.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta must decide who to play up front out of fit-again Gabriel Jesus and summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who has been the starting striker so far this season, against United. Both scored in the Champions League win over Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Out of action
Aston Villa’s unlikely title ambitions — or even its attempts to qualify for the Champions League — have been hit by a knee injury to Boubacar Kamara that could keep the defensive midfielder out for the rest of the season.
The France international is an unsung star for Villa, which badly missed Kamara when he tore his ACL in February 2024, keeping him out for eight months and forcing him to miss the European Championship.
Everton winger Jack Grealish is being assessed because of a foot injury that could reportedly keep him out for three months, which would be a blow to his hopes of getting back in the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
Off the field
There was some respite for Tottenham manager Thomas Frank this week with a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Before that, fans had expressed their unhappiness with Frank by taunting him with songs calling for his departure during a 2-1 loss to West Ham in the league last weekend.
Losing at next-to-last Burnley on Saturday would likely revive complaints about the Danish coach, who has only been in charge for seven months but has been criticized for his pragmatic tactics.
