Manchester City's predicted XI for 2018/19 season
Manchester City had a remarkable 2017/18 season notching up a square 100 points in the Premier League table. They also had a record-breaking season with the most consecutive wins (14) by any team in the top flight.
The 2017/18 season witnessed the Guardiola era where records were tumbling every now and then. After having a disappointing first season in 2016/17 as City's manager, Pep reshaped the entire team by signing young and more dynamic players, making City a serious title contender. Since then, City were almost unstoppable and relentless everytime they moved up the pitch creating the most number of opportunities in a single campaign.
City also won their second trophy, The Carabao Cup against Arsenal in which they managed to score 3 goals and keep a clean sheet. This was Pep's second trophy in a single campaign, having not managed to win a single silverware in his first season as City's manager, for the first time in his whole career. However, the FA Cup exit was not impressive as one would have thought - being knocked out by Wigan Athletic in a match that also had a debatable red card.
Having topped the group stage and winning the round of 16, Pep's men were brutally punished with Liverpool winning by 5-1 aggregate. Pep will miss the starting 3 matches of the UCL group stage having faced a ban after breaching the rule with the official referee in their semi-final clash against Liverpool at The Etihad Stadium. He will be hoping to win the Champions League with The Sky Blues after he failed to win the trophy during his stay at Bayern Munchen, almost 7 years since he last won with Barcelona in 2011.
Manchester just bought Riyadh Mahrez in this summer window in order to add more strength and composure in City's attacking area.
On that note, let us look at the most likely XI of the Champions that will take the field this season.
Note: Manchester City will follow a 4-3-3 for the same.
Goalkeeper - Ederson Moraes
The man guarding City's goal played a majority of games in his first spell under Pep Guardiola. Despite having not played a single minute at the World Cup, he remains Pep's most trusted player at the back.
Ederson kept 14 clean sheets in 36 appearances made for the club in Premier League. Having the ability to come quickly off the line and make quick decisions, the young keeper has caught Pep's eye ever since he joined City last season. There were a number of times where the young goalkeeper made the wrong decision which was punished by the opposing team, but was always appreciated by his manager from the sidelines. Pep will try to improve him in certain areas making him more subtle and decisive.