Pep Guardiola has delivered a confident assessment of Manchester City’s 2025/26 season, insisting his side are fully capable of mounting another treble pursuit — provided they remain largely free of injuries.
The City manager, who has often spoken about the fine margins that define elite-level success, believes his squad are in a far better physical condition than the group that struggled through the difficulties of last year’s campaign.
With only two absentees ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Newcastle United, Guardiola says the platform is already being laid for a sustained challenge across all fronts.
City enter the weekend positioned to close in on league leaders Arsenal, while also progressing smoothly in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
For Guardiola, this is precisely the scenario he hoped for after navigating a difficult 2024/25 season in which injuries resigned City to playing catch-up in nearly every competition.
Twelve months ago, City were overwhelmed by fitness setbacks that struck key areas of the pitch, ultimately hindering their push to defend the treble they won in 2023.
Although they managed a late surge to finish third in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final, their title challenge fizzled out long before the run-in.
Early exits in the Champions League and Carabao Cup further underlined a campaign derailed by physical strain and a schedule they simply did not have the bodies to withstand.
The Manchester City’s 2025/26 season promises an improved outcome as Guardiola insists, the outlook is very different.
City travel to St James’ Park missing only Rodri and Mateo Kovacic— a stark contrast to last year’s lengthy injury list.
Rodri’s return is expected soon, offering crucial reinforcement in midfield, but Kovacic will remain out until at least February as he continues recovery from a second Achilles procedure.
Even with those setbacks, Guardiola says the squad’s overall health has transformed the dynamics of the season.
The manager has repeatedly emphasised that performance consistency comes from availability, and he made the point once again as he looked ahead to a demanding winter period.
“If we continue with the squad fit, we’ll compete every single game and every single competition,” declared Guardiola, reinforcing his belief that City’s ceiling remains as high as ever.
“I don’t have any doubts about that. Last season we were not even going to compete in one competition.”
His tone was not boastful but assured — the familiar cadence of a coach who has seen what his side can produce when operating at full rhythm.
The Catalan has long been wary of what injuries can do to even the deepest squad, and the previous season appeared to validate his concerns.
For long stretches of 2024/25, City were without several influential players, forcing makeshift solutions and unsettling the team’s balance.
This time, however, Guardiola sees the pieces clicking into place earlier in the season.
- “So Difficult” – Donnarumma reacts after Haaland humiliated him during World Cup Qualifier
- Guardiola reveals how talented City player suffered, played with pain
A chance to trim Arsenal’s advantage at the Premier League summit to just a single point with a victory at Newcastle provides further incentive, and City’s form across other competitions has created a sense of momentum the manager desperately wanted to rediscover.
They sit in a commanding position in their Champions League group and have already punched their ticket to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, a competition Guardiola has historically used to assess fringe players while keeping the main squad sharp.
The FA Cup, meanwhile, is still to come — a tournament that delivered familiar heartbreak last season when Crystal Palace edged City in the final.
While Guardiola remains cautious about the months ahead, he has been clear that Manchester City’s 2025/26 season will give opportunity to challenge for the biggest prizes. The difference, in his eyes, comes down to physical stability.
“Where everybody is right now. Kova will be a bit later, but Rodri will come back soon and everybody can be [available]. Of course, during the season, there are injuries, we know that. But I feel we can compete in every competition,” he added.
