Manchester City will begin the 2024/25 season with the aim of retaining their Premier League title and regaining top spot in Europe.
Pep Guardiola's Cityzens finally managed to win a fourth title in a row by overcoming Arsenal in the final months of the campaign, with some of their trusted stars coming up with big moments of quality when it mattered most.
It's been a quiet summer transfer window for England and their squad may not change much ahead of the start of the season. Which players will be key for City as they aim to repeat their treble from 2022/23?
When Kevin De Bruyne suffered an injury setback at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, panic set in for City fans. Often the orchestrator of City's title-winning year, a hamstring injury kept the Belgium international out of action until January as Arsenal took first place in his absence.
In his first league game back, De Bruyne came off the bench to score and assist one goal apiece, earning City a stunning victory over Newcastle United. He finished the term with four goals and ten assists in just 1,228 minutes of league play.
He is not young at 33 years of age and, with his contract expiring next year, it could be the last season to enjoy De Bruyne's defense with his expert passing and accurate shooting.
Rodri's unbeaten record while playing for City is historic. In the Premier League last season, Rodri did not lose a single one of the 34 games he played, scoring eight goals and nine assists.
The Euro 2024 winner is vital in his role as a holding midfielder, controlling the quality of games and breaking up attacks when necessary, and is arguably City's most important player.
Manager Guardiola spoke of his fear of City starting the season slowly and it is not fair that Rodri will have played the fewest minutes available before the season, but the 28-year-old player is in his prime and will not fancy to taste defeat anytime soon.
It was always unlikely that Erling Haaland would be able to match his tally of 36 goals in his first campaign for a second time, but the Norwegian behemoth still walked away with the Premier League's Golden Boot for his 27 tries.
He is such a physical specimen that the middle and lower teams cannot contain him at his best. When the City is packed, that gives Haaland plenty of opportunities to indulge.
The former Borussia Dortmund player has shown that he can score all kinds of goals and few can deny that he will not record another great performance in 2024/25.
With De Bruyne sidelined for half the season, City had to look to another midfield genius for inspiration as they continued to defend their title.
It has been a season of true growth for Phil Foden, who has scored 19 times in the Premier League and five more in the Champions League, picking up numerous player of the season awards for his efforts.
The England star has suffered heartbreak with his national team but can now use that disappointment as fuel at club level.
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