Men's 2025/26 review: Forwards

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Manchester City F.C.

·14 de junio de 2026

Men's 2025/26 review: Forwards

We continue our reflection on how City's players performed during the 2025/26 season.

Today’s focus looks at our fabulous forwards.

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JEREMY DOKU

Games played: 47Goals: 8Assists: 11Minutes played: 2.960

Jeremy Doku was undoubtedly one of our star men across 2025/26.

Nico O’Reilly was crowned Etihad Player of the Season but Doku made it into the top three alongside Abdukodir Khusabov after a classy campaign in the final third.

Doku assisted Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in our 3–0 September win against city rivals Manchester United before a Player of the Match display in November’s 3-0 home victory over Liverpool, scoring the third goal in his 100th appearance for the club.

In April 2026, Doku came off the bench in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton to bag the equaliser and then assist Nico Gonzalez for the winner as we reached a record fourth successive final in the competition, which we eventually won 1-0 over Chelsea.

Then the 24-year-old scored both goals in a 3-3 draw away at Everton, including a last-gasp leveller that kept us in the Premier League title race.

HIGHLIGHT

His Player of the Match performance in the 3-0 thumping of champions Liverpool will live long in the memory.

It was Doku’s 100th City game and Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th in management as the Reds were put to the sword.

Doku was in almost unstoppable form during the 90 minutes and Guardiola called it an ‘outstanding, outstanding display’ by the wing wonder.

ERLING HAALAND

Games played: 52Goals: 38Assists: 9Minutes played: 4,143

Erling Haaland was calm, composed and clinical in front of goal throughout 2025/26.

Haaland was top scorer in the Premier League yet again – his third Golden Boot across four exemplary seasons in sky blue.

His tally this term was 27 in the top-flight, five ahead of Brentford hotshot Igor Thiago and ten in front of City teammate Antoine Semenyo.

The Norwegian went about his job with minimum fuss and maximum impact as he again showed why he’s one of the most feared forwards in world football.

He started as he meant to go on, bagging a brace on our August opening day 4-0 win at Wolves.

His goal in the next game against Brighton made him the player with the most goals in his first 100 matches in the Premier League, his 88 efforts surpassing Alan Shearer’s previous record of 79.

Haaland scored the first goal in our opening UEFA Champions League match of the season, a 2–0 home victory against Napoli, and in doing so became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the competition, across just 49 matches.

The scoring phenomenon also became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League, his effort in a remarkable 5–4 away win over Fulham meaning he achieved the milestone in just 111 appearances, surpassing Alan Shearer’s 1995 record of 124 matches.

Other highlights in the sky blue shirt included a late penalty winner over Liverpool at Anfield, a hat-trick in a vital FA Cup Etihad 4-0 success over the Reds on the way to the trophy and a winner in a tight top of the table clash against Arsenal.

And, on the international front, he also broke records!

His hat-trick for Norway in their October 2025 win over Israel saw him become the fastest player to reach a half-century of international goals.

Already his nation’s record goalscorer, his treble meant he reached the 50 goal mark faster than Pele, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe did for their nations.

It was another outstanding season from a truly outstanding player.

HIGHLIGHT

Making it into the Premier League 100 Club would be enough of a highlight for any striker.

But to do so in record time was extra special, especially when you consider he surpassed legendary striker Alan Shearer in the process.

Haaland became the 35th player to be inducted and the seventh inductee to have played for the Blues.

He followed in the footsteps of Andrew Cole, Sergio Aguero, Frank Lampard, Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka and Raheem Sterling.

Heady company!

OMAR MARMOUSH

Games played: 36Goals: 8Assists: 3Minutes played: 1,393

Omar Marmoush was a victim of circumstances in 2025/26 but when called upon he rarely let City down.

Pep Guardiola opted to play with one up top with two wide players supporting the central striker.

That middle man was invariably Erling Haaland and it’d be hard to disagree with Guardiola’s judgement when you consider the Norwegian collected a third Golden Boot in four sensational seasons in the sky blue.

The Egyptian’s biggest influence came in the Carabao Cup, a competition we triumphed in at Wembley in March’s showpiece success against Arsenal.

His opener for the season came in that competition, the second goal in October 2025’s 3-1 win at Swansea in the third round.

But it was in the vital semi-final showdown with Newcastle where Marmoush came into his own.

Following a 2-0 success in the first leg at St James Park, Marmoush grabbed a vital double in the deciding tie which coupled with a third from Tijjani Reijnders sent us to Wembley and that Gunners glory.

He hit another decisive double away at the Magpies in the FA Cup, that tricky fifth round success followed up by victories over Liverpool at the Etihad, Southampton in the semi at Wembley and Chelsea in the final as we collected our second cup of the campaign.

He closed out the campaign with back-to-back Premier League goals against Brentford and Crystal Palace which kept us in the hunt until the draw at Bournemouth handed the initiative to Mikel Arteta’s men.

HIGHLIGHT

Undoubtedly his brace in the Carabao Cup triumph over Newcastle.

Being the first trophy you can win in the season, it was important for City to put a marker down after an overall frustrating campaign in 2024/25.

That double in the second leg helped quell any nerves and sent us to Wembley and eventual success in the competition.

SAVINHO

Games played: 36Goals: 4Assists: 2Minutes played: 1,502

Savinho encountered stiff competition in 2025/26 as Pep Guardiola had an abundance of talent to pick from in wide areas during the campaign.

Savinho was already fighting for a spot in the team with the electrifying Jeremy Doku before the January transfer window saw the arrival of Antoine Semenyo.

That battle for places meant Savinho enjoyed a stop-start season in the sky blue.

But blessed with terrific natural skill sets, a blistering turn of pace allied to some dazzling dribbling ability, he showed his quality when called upon throughout the term.

The winger scored four goals, bagging the first in September 2025’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield before the decisive second in a 2-0 home Premier League triumph over Brentford just before Christmas.

His unusual finish at Newcastle helped us progress in the FA Cup in March 2026 before hitting the third in a 3-0 Etihad success over Crystal Palace in May 2026.

He also enjoyed three assists in 2025/26 – for Bernardo Silva in our 2-0 UCL win at Villarreal, for Erling Haaland’s second in the 2-0 Premier League home win over Everton as well as being felled by Dean Henderson for a penalty which Haaland duly converted in the 3-0 top-flight success over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

HIGHLIGHT

For sheer audacity, Savinho’s goal at Newcastle in our FA Cup triumph ranks highest in 2025/26.

Behind in the fifth round tie to an opener by Harvey Barnes, the Blues hit back in style.

Jeremy Doku raced to the byline before cutting the ball back.

Savinho, standing there waiting for the ball to reach him, allowed it to nonchalantly ricochet off his foot and creep past Aaron Ramsdale in what felt like slow motion.

Omar Marmoush then bagged a brace as we progressed in a competition we eventually won at Wembley, Chelsea vanquished in the showpiece final.

ANTOINE SEMENYO

Games played: 27Goals: 11Assists: 3Minutes played: 2,022

When it comes to January business, the acquisitions of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi must go down as some of the smartest and shrewdest in the club’s history.

In terms of both ends of the pitch, Semenyo provided dynamism in the forward areas while Guéhi added distinction at the back.

Arriving from Bournemouth after a ferocious start to the 2025/26 campaign for the Cherries, Semenyo made a blistering beginning to life in sky blue.

He scored once and assisted once in the 10–1 FA Cup victory over Exeter City before then opening the scoring three days later in our 2-0 away success over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Semenyo should have had a second in that game – which would have taken his tally to three in two – but for a VAR infringement decision that left many scratching their heads.

He scored his first Premier League goal for City in the 2-0 home victory over Wolves before another in the 2-2 away draw at Tottenham.

More league goals followed at Fulham in a 3-0 home win, the winner at Leeds in a 1-0 triumph and the opener in an ultimately frustrating 2-2 Etihad draw against Nottingham Forest, the visitors coming back to earn a point, the first in a 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace and the opener again on the final day against Aston Villa as we bade farewell to Pep Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva.

In the FA Cup, Semenyo scored a truly wonderful goal in the 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool, his classy chip making it 3-0 just after half-time after previously setting up hat-trick hero Erling Haaland for an important second on the stroke of half-time which took the wind out of Liverpool’s sails.

Even better was to follow in that competition, Semenyo scoring the winner in our Wembley final triumph over Chelsea, the victory ensuring the winger’s second major trophy for the Blues – and second of his career - all in the space of just four months.

HIGHLIGHT

Scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup final is every young player’s dream.

And that dream became reality for Semenyo who proved the difference in the showpiece against Chelsea.

Not only that, his 72nd minute goal was absolutely class as the winger produced a moment of brilliance to seal the victory and in the process earn the second major honour of his fledgling career after Carabao Cup success two months earlier.