Manchester City begin the 2025–26 Premier League season by visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, with the eight-time champions keen to make a fast start following last season’s frustrations.
The Cityzens surrendered their Premier League crown to Liverpool and stumbled into third place as a result of their sudden decline in 2024–25, with defeat in the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace only compounding their misery. Pep Guardiola will be demanding a speedy turnaround from his side, as well as all three points from the weekend trip to Molineux.
City have been busy reinforcing their squad over the summer transfer window, making room for new additions by allowing experienced heads such as Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish to depart. New faces should help freshen things up as they aim to rediscover their mojo and compete for the title once more.
Wolves will be eager to cause an early upset but their recent record against City leaves much to be desired. They have lost nine of their last ten meetings with the Manchester giants, including a heartbreaking 95th-minute defeat in this exact fixture last season.
The departures of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri come as a significant blows for the Old Gold, with their pre-season results only exacerbating concerns for supporters. They lost four and drew two friendlies over the summer, failing to keep a single clean sheet—an ominous sign ahead of City’s upcoming visit.
Here is guide to the duel in the West Midlands.
