Manchester City season preview 2026-27: With Pep Guardiola era over, can Enzo Maresca maintain elite level?

The start of a new, uncertain era for City begins Aug 19, 2026 at 9:43 am ET • 6 min read When Pep Guardiola walked out to the piercing, plodding guitars of Oasis' "Morning Glory" on a purpose-built stage in front of the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016, few Manchester City fans could have imagined the ride that was ahead of them. Least of all, how long they would be on it. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager had found himself burnt out at both of his previous stops, four seasons at the former, three the latter. Most expected City to get a similar tenure from the best coach in the world.Instead Guardiola departed a decade later from a club he had radically altered. With Abu Dhabi's backing, City would always have been there or thereabouts but with the best manager in the wor