Premier League clubs have spotted a potential weakness within Manchester City that they feel they can exploit throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
The start of the current season has been a mixed one for Pep Guardiola’s side, as City have picked up some great results, but they seem to be overshadowed by the defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, in addition to the Manchester club already being eight points behind Liverpool.
Jamie Carragher was stunned by how aggressive Man City were against Wolves on the opening weekend of the season, but that was the total opposite of what Guardiola’s team showed on Sunday against Arsenal.
It is now being said that Premier League clubs have spotted a weakness at Manchester City, and it could determine how games play out over the coming months.
Premier League clubs can see Man City becoming fatigued
Many changes were made to Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff during the summer months, as Pep Lijnders and James French were two new faces to move to the Etihad Stadium.
The former Liverpool coach is known for his aggressive pressing style, and that has been evident throughout the opening phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, other Premier League clubs have been watching developments at Man City over the last few months, and they believe this change could see Guardiola’s team become tired late in matches.
“A lot of thinking, from what I’m told, Arsenal and Arteta’s staff were conscious of this idea that because Manchester City themselves are changing approach because it’s a new team internalising Guardiola’s ways and also that they are going from maybe more of a possession game to more of a bit of a potentially high press game,” Delaney said.
“A lot has been made of Pep Lijnders, Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant, now working with City, and it’s been noted by other clubs how City can potentially get more fatigued than they are used to after an hour.
“Obviously, issues like Rodri not being at full fitness play into that. I think Arsenal would have expected maybe that this was going to be a tight game. Then after an hour, he could bring on his, you know, game changers, his match winners.”
Adapting to a new style was always going to take some time; however, this view of Man City is a weak one for many reasons.
Not much will change at Manchester City
Although Man City have looked more aggressive since the arrival of Lijnders, not much has changed at the Manchester club, as at their core, they still want to play possession-based football.
To make City tired, opponents will need to have the ball for Guardiola’s team to chase; however, in the majority of matches the Premier League giants compete in, they have most of the possession and control the pace of the match.
The last two Premier League games Man City competed in saw them with less of the ball, but they were not running around carelessly and instead counter-attacking when the opportunity presented itself.
The rest of the Premier League’s view of City seems like a weak one, as they have not gone full Ange Postecoglou this season. Things have changed at the Etihad Stadium, but it has not been anything overdramatic.
