In finishing third in the table, Pep Guardiola’s side extended an astonishing run of qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
An unbeaten run of ten games towards the end of the Premier League season ensured that City will be competing in the top-tier European club competition for the 15th consecutive time in the 2025-26 season.
Manchester City qualified for the Champions League for a 15th consecutive season
Third place
Premier League
Finalists
FA Cup
Fourth round
Carabao Cup
Knockout phase play-offs
UEFA Champions League
Round of 16
FIFA Club World Cup
The 2024-25 campaign began strongly with success over Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley and an unbeaten run of nine league games (seven wins, two draws).
A significant number of injuries to key players impacted results mid-season, as City won only one match in nine and slipped to seventh in the table.
The reigning Premier League champions went on to display their class and resilience in the closing weeks to win seven and draw three of the final ten domestic games and rise to third in the standings.
City also reached the FA Cup final for a third successive time, though lost out to Crystal Palace in the decider.
In October, Rodri became the first Manchester City player to be awarded the Ballon d’Or. The defensive midfielder was crowned the best player in the world in recognition of his contribution to club and country in the 2023-24 season. The award is voted for by a panel of journalists from the 100 top-ranking nations, who also included fellow City players Rúben Dias, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in their 30-man shortlist.
There was additional exciting and welcome news off the pitch as manager Guardiola signed a fresh, two-year deal to extend his trophy-laden, record-breaking spell to more than a decade.
Ten years also figured in star striker Erling Haaland’s thoughts as the Norwegian ace put pen to paper on a new contract that saw him commit to City until 2034.
Haaland scored a remarkable, record-setting 85 Premier League goals in his first three seasons at the club. He netted a goal every 95 minutes on average, making him the most efficient marksmen in Premier League history (amongst those with more than 50 goals).
In that time the 25-year-old bagged eight Premier League hat-tricks, five more than any other top-flight player in the last three seasons and reached 100 goal involvements (84 goals and 16 assists) after 94 games played, faster than any other player since the Premier League was established.
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In January, City set about refreshing the squad with four exciting prospects in Omar Marmoush, Nico González, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. The new recruits and the Club had eyes on the future as City continued its policy of strategically investing to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level of world football.
Egyptian Marmoush made an immediate impact – scoring seven non-penalty goals in the latter half of the campaign. He also became the first ever City player to win the Premier League Goal of the Season award thanks to his 30-yard-plus strike against Bournemouth in May.
Further recruitment took place early in the summer transfer window as Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Bettinelli all joined before the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
In that competition, City were the highest scorers at the group stage, and the only team to win all their group games, before bowing out in the last 16. However, Aït-Nouri, Reijnders and Cherki all got valuable game time and made an immediate positive impression.
The 2024-25 season saw Nico O’Reilly become the latest Academy starlet to break through under Guardiola’s tutelage.
Often playing in an unfamiliar defensive role, O’Reilly recorded five direct goal involvements (three goals and two assists) in the FA Cup, the second-highest figure for any player participating in the competition last year.
Whilst 2024-25 saw O’Reilly establish himself in the City side, the end of the season saw the departure of one of the greatest City players of all time.
Belgian superstar Kevin De Bruyne left for Napoli after an incredible ten-year stay with the Club, winning 19 major honours.
In all he played 285 games for City in the Premier League, scored 72 goals and provided 118 assists – the latter being more than any other City player in the Premier League era and 25 more than David Silva in second place (93 assists).
De Bruyne’s 190 goal contributions (72 goals and 118 assists) is the second-highest figure for any City player in Premier League history, behind only Sergio Agüero (231). His 846 chances created (including assists) in the league (843 for City, 3 for Chelsea) is also a Premier League record, held jointly with Cesc Fàbregas.
His contributions to the Club saw him honoured at the City Football Academy as a mosaic was installed and a road named after him. A statue has also been commissioned and will be installed at the Etihad Stadium once complete.
Long-serving sporting director Txiki Begiristain said his farewells, departing after the Club World Cup following 13 hugely successful years. He was succeeded by Hugo Viana from Sporting CP in Portugal. Viana, who Guardiola described as ‘the perfect replacement’, spent several months working with Txiki to ensure a smooth transition.
