Man City projected lineup 2026/27: How Enzo Maresca will tackle lift after Guardiola without Rodri

Manchester City enter a Premier League season without Pep Guardiola at the helm for the first time since 2015/16.

Enzo Maresca takes on the unenviable task of replacing Guardiola, having served as one of his assistants during the treble-winning campaign of 2022/23.

Maresca returns to a very different squad at the Etihad Stadium, one bolstered by the £116 million club-record arrival of Elliot Anderson but nursing the departures of several club greats.

Rodri's move to Barcelona after his World Cup heroics for Spain has understandably stolen headlines, but Bernardo Silva and John Stones - two pillars of the Guardiola years - also moved on at the end of last season, 12 months on from Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Ederson heading through the exit door.

The Sporting News looks at the City squad, how it shakes out and where each player is set to contribute toward the first steps of the post-Guardiola era.

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Man City projected lineup 2026/27

Man City projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1 right to left): G. Donnarumma (GK) —M. Nunes, R. Dias, J. Gvardiol, N. O'Reilly — E. Anderson, M. Kovacic — A. Semenyo, P. Foden, J. Doku — E. Haaland

Man City second XI (4-3-3, right to left): G. Rulli (GK) — V. Reis, A. Khusanov, M. Guehi, R. Ait-Nouri — R. Lewis, N. Gonzalez — Savinho, R. Cherki, J. Grealish — O. Marmoush

Other squad players: M. Bettinelli (GK), S. Mfuni, D. Mukasa, C. Echeverri, J. Monga, R. McAidoo

A busy transfer window, largely consisting of major outgoings from the first-team squad, means a potentially frantic couple of weeks ahead for City's director of football, Hugo Viana. 

Midfield reinforcements are essential, with both Lille teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez heavily linked. For now, Mateo Kovacic has put himself ahead of Nico Gonzalez in the pecking order to partner Anderson in central midfield. That was probably not a situation envisaged even by the experienced Croatia international himself, as he enters the final year of his contract following a 2025/26 season decimated by Achilles and ankle surgery.

Gonzalez has been linked with a move to Newcastle, while Savinho's long-mooted switch to Tottenham is at a more advanced stage. Jack Grealish is similarly unlikely to have a long-term future at City, despite coming on at halftime in the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal for the injured Jeremy Doku. Teenage wingers Ryan McAidoo and Jeremy Monga - a close-season buy from Maresca's old club Leicester - should have the chance to push for some first-team minutes.

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Phil Foden has the No. 10 role ahead of Rayan Cherki for now, having enjoyed a full pre-season, but the 2023/24 PFA and FWA Player of the Season must swiftly move back towards his best form to hold onto the position. Omar Marmoush could be another option there, as it feels more likely that the Egypt international features centrally under Maresca if he remains in Manchester.

Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland are untouchables at either end of the pitch, especially after goalkeeper James Trafford departed for Leeds. Matheus Nunes' impressive conversion from midfielder to right-back means there is no desire to seek a specialist in that position, where Rico Lewis can provide cover along with young centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis - the latter back from a season on loan at Girona.

Overall, the defence is well-stocked and Nick O'Reilly could revert to his natural position in City's more sparsely populated midfield, especially given Josko Gvardiol and Rayan Ait-Nouri are left-back options.

It's startling to see English football's dominant force over the past decade looking so relatively weak and Viana must endeavour to give Maresca a better hand by the time the window closes.

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Enzo Maresca tactics, style of play

City's pre-season matches all featured City laid out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with one of the central midfielders — the departing Tijjani Reijnders on the Asian tour and Anderson in the Community Shield — pushing on in possession to support Foden and the wingers.

In possession, Maresca's teams build up in a set 3-2 pattern, with one of the full-backs joining the deepest midfielder to facilitate the start of attacks. Although Guardiola also used this shape, it marks a departure because the Catalan frequently changed his build-up configuration. It feels likely that using the 3-2 will remain a consistent ploy for Maresca.

There is an emphasis on Maresca's wingers staying high and wide, with an onus on them attacking the opposition full-backs aggressively once they get the ball. Doku and Antoine Semenyo have each shown signs that they will enjoy this approach greatly. 

One of possession, Maresca has retained the 4-2-4 shape that Guardiola deployed during the second half of last season, although Arsenal were able to easily navigate City's wingers pressing their centre-backs during the Community Shield.

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Man City new signings and outgoing transfers

Incomings

*Since loaned to AS Monaco
#Since loaned to QPR

Outgoings

Man City strengths and weaknesses for 2026/27 season

Strength: Erling Haaland, centre-back depth

Haaland left for the World Cup as a footballing superstar; he returned as a global phenomenon. Now, essentially, the face of City following Guardiola's departure, much of how Maresca's reign stands or falls, will depend upon how effectively he can harness Haaland's rare gifts.

The 26-year-old won his third Premier League Golden Boot in four years last season and has 162 goals in 199 City appearances overall. And yet, there is a sense of more to come. When Haaland arrived to help City win the treble under Guardiola, there was a sense of him being the final piece in the puzzle. After a spell of such upheaval in the squad, the star striker will now be the focal point. Maresca's preference for direct, attacking wing play — as opposed to wide players tasked with recycling possession and getting the team up the field — feels like something Haaland can have a lot of fun with.

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At the other end of the field, January arrival contributed to an enviable array of options at centre-back. The move for the England defender was hastened by injuries to Ruben Dias and Gvardiol that took them out for most of the rest of the season. Those two are back in situ and must compete with Guehi and Khusanov, the pacey Uzbekistan youngster who formed a fine partnership with the former Crystal Palace captain during the second half of last season.

While City are scrambling in other areas of the team, the departures of Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji are not likely to be too keenly felt considering the central defensive options Maresca has in place. 

Weakness: Midfield upheaval, wide attacking depth

The succession planning in midfield has not matched that at centre-back. Even if City bring in two or three high-quality central midfielders alongside Elliot Anderson before the deadline, this amounts to huge upheaval.

It's hard to argue against the fees brought in for Reijnders and Rodri, while the writing appears to be on the wall for Gonzalez's City career, but Viana cannot afford further missteps in this key area. The 18-year-old Bouaddi, if he arrives, must be viewed as a signing for the now, given he has been a first-team fixture at Lille for two years despite his tender age.

Selling Savinho for big money to Tottenham would feel like a coup, but City have held out because of the paucity of natural wide options in the squad. Semenyo was superb during preseason but with Doku laid low by injury, another elite winger is vital if this is to remain such a key plank of Maresca's game plan.