Pep Guardiola labels Manchester City’s 2024/25 season as “one of the best” | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reflected on the 2024/25 season with pride, labelling the campaign as “one of the best” during his time at the club.

The assessment comes despite what has widely been viewed as one of the most challenging periods of Guardiola’s nine-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium, with City at one stage battling to remain in the Premier League’s top four rather than competing on multiple fronts for silverware following a poor run of form in autumn and winter.

Injuries, squad disruption, and dips in confidence all contributed to a testing stretch, with key players sidelined and Pep Guardiola forced into regular tactical adjustments. Yet City steadied themselves, securing a return to consistency and re-establishing a competitive platform across domestic and European competitions.

That resilience was again evident in Manchester City’s opening fixture of the new calendar year, a hard-fought 0-0 draw away at Sunderland. While the result left City four points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, Guardiola praised his side’s second-half dominance, composure, and mentality in a hostile environment.

Speaking to reporters around City’s opening fixture of the new calendar year, Guardiola spoke with pride around the 2024/25 season, glowing about the club’s ability to recover from a difficult campaign.

“Last season, what we did and overcame was one of the best seasons that we have had as a team,” Guardiola insisted. “All the guys that were there and the staff, backroom staff, it was arguably one of the best we have had.”

The Catalan head coach continued, “It’s how you overcome the problems that define the seasons.

“And from the perspective now, every time when I reflect what happened last season, I am more proud than ever of what we have done as a club and how we handled the bad, bad situations.

“How the hierarchy, Khaldoon [Al Mubarak], the CEO [Ferran Soriano], how incredible the messages of support of ‘let’s go, let’s go, let’s go’. Just in this incredible club, [it] can happen.”

Pep Guardiola’s comments align with his recent messaging around unity and internal stability, particularly amid external scrutiny and uncertainty surrounding the club, with the City manager having repeatedly highlighted the importance of support from the board and executive level during periods when results faltered.

Looking ahead, Guardiola will hope that lessons drawn from the 2024/25 campaign can fuel a stronger push in the months to come. With key players returning, a congested fixture schedule on the horizon, and City still active in multiple competitions, the manager believes the foundations are in place for renewed momentum.

If Manchester City are to mount another sustained challenge domestically and in Europe, Guardiola’s belief is clear in that resilience, collective responsibility, and trust within the club will once again be just as important as performances on the pitch.