The Premier League kicks off this weekend and all eyes will be on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City after a difficult 2024/25 campaign. It has been a summer of change at the Etihad Stadium and here we look ahead to a season in which City will be determined to bounce back.
Prospects
Saturday evening’s friendly against Italian Serie B side Palermo hinted that Manchester City are back on track on the eve of the new season.
The club grabbed a 3-0 victory in Sicily against their City Football Group stablemate, with John Stones starting after months out with injury and summer signing Tijjani Reijnders scoring twice as a second-half substitute. Goalkeeper James Trafford, another recent recruit, played the first half and looked comfortable for the most part.
The clean sheet will be welcome and the age profile of the starting XI suggests City’s rapid rebuild in 2025 is nearly complete, but there are still some defensive gremlins to purge after their title challenge unravelled last winter.
City also have some injury worries going into the new season and a cluster of players apparently set to leave what is a large first-team squad by recent standards.
Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is out for now and Mateo Kovacic will be sidelined for a couple of months with an Achilles injury, leaving Nico Gonzalez as the only conventional defensive midfielder in the squad. Phil Foden is not expected to be fit for the start of the season, while neither Josko Gvardiol nor Claudio Echeverri travelled last weekend.
Jack Grealish has secured a loan deal at Everton, James McAtee looks likely to leave for Nottingham Forest, while Stefan Ortega and Kalvin Phillips may well depart, too. Savinho has been the subject of reported interest from Spurs.
Guardiola’s side will be a fun watch this season, but City will not be many people’s favourites to reclaim their crown, despite winning the Premier League title in six of the last eight years. Only time will tell whether they can get back to their best after the multiple setbacks of last term or if this will be a year of transition.
Last five finishes
- 2024/25: 3rd
- 2023/24: 1st
- 2022/23: 1st
- 2021/22: 1st
- 2020/21: 1st
First five fixtures
- August 16: Wolves (A)
- August 23: Tottenham (H)
- August 31: Brighton (A)
- September 14: Manchester United (H)
- September 21: Arsenal (A)
The manager
Pep Guardiola: Committed himself to the club until 2027 last autumn and refreshed his coaching staff in the close season, bringing in Kolo Toure and Pepijn Lijnders.
In an intriguing interview with GQ earlier this month, Guardiola said that last season’s downturn was a “healthy process for the club, because success can confuse you”, adding that “you can’t win every time”. He also made the point that the club finished third last term, which represented a drop off from the heights of previous years, but not as deep a dip as some have suggested.
Guardiola sounds philosophical and realistic on the eve of the new campaign. He is also one of the greatest innovators and problem-solvers the sport has ever known. With a squad comprehensively rebuilt in two transfer windows, he may feel his side is on the cusp of a return to the summit.
Star signing
Rayan Cherki: All the summer intake look capable of excelling, including Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, Rayan Cherki from Lyon, Reijnders from AC Milan and Trafford from Burnley. Midfielder Sverre Nypan and goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli also arrived from Rosenborg and Chelsea respectively, but neither is expected to feature much.
Anyone who saw Cherki’s electric cameo in France’s 5-4 defeat by Spain at the Nations League finals this summer, will be aware of his capabilities. He made his international debut after a stellar season at Lyon, where he finished as top assist provider in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League.
City have to mitigate against the absence of Kevin De Bruyne this season after his departure to Serie A. Cherki, who turns 22 this month, is an incredibly gifted player who could secure the high volume of assists and goals the Belgian provided for a decade.
Key player
Rodri: The Ballon d’Or winner’s latest setback, a groin injury during City’s Club World Cup exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, is a reminder of how important Rodri has been to the side’s trophy-laden recent past and how much he is missed when unavailable.
He played 56 times for the club in the treble-winning 2022/23 season and 50 times the following term as well as in major tournaments for Spain. But an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in last September’s dramatic home draw against Arsenal ruled him out until the final moments of the 2024/25 campaign.
City looked meek and vulnerable at times in his absence, particularly during the period from November to March. If Rodri can successfully recover from injury and return to anything close to his prior form, City could be unstoppable this season.
Hot prospect
Oscar Bobb: A fractured leg in last year’s preseason meant Bobb barely featured last term, a situation compounded by a secondary injury in April. Bobb will be familiar to many for his stunning piece of footwork in a De Bruyne-assisted winner away at Newcastle in City’s last title-winning season. He was expected to feature far more heavily last term before injury tore those plans apart.
Bobb scored against Al Ain in the summer’s Club World Cup and put in a good performance in Palermo this month, suggesting he may be on the cusp of a strong comeback at City.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
AT%20A%20GLANCE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWindfall%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAn%20%E2%80%9Cenergy%20profits%20levy%E2%80%9D%20to%20raise%20about%20%C2%A35%20billion%20in%20a%20year.%20The%20temporary%20one-off%20tax%20will%20hit%20oil%20and%20gas%20firms%20by%2025%20per%20cent%20on%20extraordinary%20profits.%20An%2080%20per%20cent%20investment%20allowance%20should%20calm%20Conservative%20nerves%20that%20the%20move%20will%20dent%20North%20Sea%20firms%E2%80%99%20investment%20to%20save%20them%2091p%20for%20every%20%C2%A31%20they%20spend.%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EA%20universal%20grant%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEnergy%20bills%20discount%2C%20which%20was%20effectively%20a%20%C2%A3200%20loan%2C%20has%20doubled%20to%20a%20%C2%A3400%20discount%20on%20bills%20for%20all%20households%20from%20October%20that%20will%20not%20need%20to%20be%20paid%20back.%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETargeted%20measures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMore%20than%20eight%20million%20of%20the%20lowest%20income%20households%20will%20receive%20a%20%C2%A3650%20one-off%20payment.%20It%20will%20apply%20to%20households%20on%20Universal%20Credit%2C%20Tax%20Credits%2C%20Pension%20Credit%20and%20legacy%20benefits.%3Cbr%3ESeparate%20one-off%20payments%20of%20%C2%A3300%20will%20go%20to%20pensioners%20and%20%C2%A3150%20for%20those%20receiving%20disability%20benefits.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Ant-Man%20and%20the%20Wasp%3A%20Quantumania
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeyton%20Reed%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Rudd%2C%20Evangeline%20Lilly%2C%20Jonathan%20Majors%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Result
Tottenhan Hotspur 2 Roma 3
Tottenham: Winks 87', Janssen 90 1'
Roma 3
D Perotti 13' (pen), C Under 70', M Tumminello 90 2"
The five pillars of Islam
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Match on Bein Sports
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
