Former Manchester City defender tips Pep Guardiola’s side as ‘favourites for everything’ this season | OneFootball

One of Manchester City’s former central defenders has high hopes for Pep Guardiola’s side this season off the back of the last campaign’s disappointments.

City endured a sobering season on the pitch with a third, Round of 16 and final finishes in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup respectively in what was the Blues’ most underwhelming year since Guardiola was appointed manager in 2016.

Guardiola’s side struggled with injuries across the pitch and key players such as Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne – who were instrumental in City’s success over the years – failed to meet their own standards amidst what was a collective drop-off from a side that has dominated English football like none other.

Manchester City won the Premier League four straight times between 2021-24, claiming their first UEFA Champions League title in 2023 when they swept all that came past them and walked to a historic treble.

However, the tide changed in English football last season as Liverpool returned to Premier League glory in Arne Slot’s debut year at Anfield, with Arsenal maintaining their impressive recent run of finishing second in the Premier League.

City have spent nearly £300 million on 10 new signings since January and whilst Vitor Reis has been loaned out to Girona – with Sverre Nypan and Claudio Echeverri also expected to complete season-long loans – the Blues have undergone a major squad overhaul orchestrated by director of football Hugo Viana.

Speaking at the launch the new Topps Premier League 2025/26 trading card collection, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo, Joleon Lescott insisted that despite the drop-off in standards last campaign, Manchester City remain one of the favourites for every major trophy.

“Regardless of how last season panned out, they are definitely going to be one of the favourites. It’s Pep Guardiola, it’s Man City with some of the world’s best players,” Lescott insisted.

“They finished trophyless in 2025. It would be foolish to not see them as favourites in every competition they enter. That doesn’t mean they’re going to win everything, but they’re definitely one of the favourites.”

Reflecting further on the last campaign, Lescott added: “It was obviously an unprecedented season for them last year, but they’ve achieved something no one in the history of English football has achieved so it’s always going to take its toll. It did that last year.

“Not only a physical toll, but a mental toll to stay focussed for that long and to have to win games for that period of time. When they recognised that they weren’t going to win the title, whether it was subconsciously or not, they were able to switch off a little bit.

“Physically the demand was still there but hopefully they’ve had a break mentally, not to have to go out there and concentrate points wise, hopefully that now means they’ll come back ready to go.”