City were the BBC predictors’ pre-season favourites in eight out of their 10 seasons under Pep Guardiola from 2016 onwards, and were champions six times during that period. But before their first campaign with Enzo Maresca in charge, only 12% (3/26) think they will reclaim the title.
Thomas Hitzlsperger: City are the only English club to have been ever-present in the Champions League since 2011, which is an achievement in itself when you think about how competitive the top of the Premier League is.
With Pep Guardiola, I would always say they would finish in the top four, but now he has gone, and it is always so tough to follow someone like that. Maybe this is the year that City finally drop out.
Shay Given: I don’t think Pep leaving means we will see what happened when Sir Alex Ferguson left United. Instead, I am expecting the opposite, because of a fresh voice in the dressing room. These players have not won the Premier League in two years so they will be hungry for success. City will be number one.
Troy Deeney: My prediction for City is not based off what happened in the Community Shield, it is based off what I saw with Enzo Maresca at Leicester and Chelsea.
I am not sure he has got that ability to really demand what he wants. Pep has taught all these coaches, but only Arteta has tweaked it and kind of said “I am going to use all the principles, but this is my way of doing it”.
I don’t want to be disrespectful, but Maresca is a BTEC version of Pep Guardiola. He plays a certain way and has no other way of dealing with it. You saw on Sunday how bad City were defensively but all of his teams are wide open, and he is still doing that now, even with better players – top-class players.
Joe Hart: City were clunky against Arsenal in Cardiff but I don’t think they will over-react to one poor game. I think they still believe they’ve got the team and the quality to challenge.
Theo Walcott: Maresca replacing Pep is obviously a gigantic question mark, but City’s squad is still absurd. The problem is the transition from Pep to Maresca, plus losing Rodri and others.
Nedum Onuoha: City have still got a bunch of players who have won the title before, but they have got a new manager and have also lost some of their more senior players.
Anita Asante: Maresca’s playing style is not that dissimilar to Pep’s so there is not this massive change in terms of the team’s identity. They have still got some fantastic forward players too, but Rodri leaving is massive because we know how pivotal he has been at the club.
It’s the same with losing John Stones and Bernardo Silva too. They were leaders in the dressing room and they will be missed there, as well as on the pitch.
Leon Osman: That signals problems for me, even with Erling Haaland there.
Pat Nevin: Midfield, management, you name it – City are rebuilding. I will be surprised if they win it, but they will still be up there.
Rachel Brown-Finnis: They still have some big guns, but will be too inconsistent to win the league.