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Manchester City have three points from six in the Premier League as they adjust to the squad rebuild
Manchester City walloped Juventus in the Club World Cup and the talk was of a blue juggernaut rolling into action ready for a fresh assault at home and abroad. Then came a collapse against Al Hilal and an early exit.
City sparkled at times against Wolves in their Premier League opener, scoring four without reply and beginning the campaign with a bang. Then came the defeat to Spurs.
The last four competitive games have been boom or bust, we've seen the best and worst of this latest incarnation of Guardiola's City. The reality is, the Blues are somewhere in between.
The win at Wolves wasn't flawless, they could have fallen behind in that contest but the home side didn't take their chances and City were clinical, scoring with all four of their efforts on target.
Against Spurs, City had more than 60 per cent possession and their XG was 1.51 to 1.07 for the visitors. They could have been in front before Spurs struck and both goals City conceded were preventable.
And therein lie the issues in a nutshell, City haven't been dreadful but neither have they been incredible. They still don't fully convince defensively and they are not quite the fluid force of old in attack.
This is no huge surprise, the Blues have amassed almost a new side since the turn of the year and six of the starters against Thomas Frank's team were 2025 arrivals. The merging of the new and old will take time while Guardiola was arguably without three of his best XI in Josko Gvardiol (injured) and Rodri and Phil Foden (not fit enough to start after injuries). Rayan Ait-Nouri was forced off inside the first quarter.
Patience will be required with this group and while there are rightly concerns over the goalkeeper situation, whether City have enough at right back and whether the obvious talent at Guardiola's disposal can become a force to be reckoned with quickly; there is no doubt that City have the best man for the job at the helm and a talented group of players with plenty of potential alongside a sprinkling of world class stars (a la Rodri and Erling Haaland) to once again claim a stranglehold on English football.
The early signs are mixed, the results have been mixed and the performances have been mixed.
But there is enough to suggest the path is the right one. City didn't lose a game last season until the end of October yet ended way off the pace.
Perhaps the best place to form the early opinion of this City side will be after five league matches, with Brighton up next and Manchester United and Arsenal to come after the international break.
That will offer a sample size big enough to judge. Right now, City are finding their feet amid a background of speculation and noise, but you wouldn't bet against their football doing the talking again soon.
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