Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his Manchester City players must improve on their opening day showing as they welcome Ipswich Town to the Etihad on Saturday. 

City kickstarted their Premier League title defence with a 2-0 win against Chelsea, but Guardiola was left wanting more from his squad 

Despite having more shots and shots on target, the Citizens underperformed their expected goals (xG) total by 1.23, something the Spaniard said surprised him. 

"I didn't expect it. We are away from our best so three points is the good news. The bad news is we have 65 games ahead of us," Guardiola said. 

"We have an advantage, it's our ninth season together so we know each other well.

"There is a plan, defensive, offensive. But afterwards, it's how we celebrate the good moments and come back from the bad moments.

"That's what defines these teams and no one talks about it."

Meanwhile, Ipswich marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, although the result did not tell the full story of the contest at Portman Road.

The Tractor Boys restricted Arne Slot's side to just three shots in the first half, none of which were on target, while also registering two shots on Alisson's goal of their own. 

But the Reds' quality shone through after the break, with goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah securing an opening day win for their new manager. 

And Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna insisted that lessons will be learned from their second half showing, with the result a solid foundation to build on moving forward. 

“We know we can improve in the second half. Liverpool really hit their stride during that period and there’s bits we can do better there to make the game more competitive," McKenna said. 

“There’s positives to take and lessons to learn, and I think it’s a game that stands us in pretty good stead.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Man City – Erling Haaland

Having opened his account for the season against Chelsea last weekend, Erling Haaland will be licking his lips when Ipswich visit the Etihad on Saturday.

Haaland has scored at least once against all 22 sides he has faced since his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. 

The Norwegian has also netted 13 goals in nine appearances during August in the competition, more than he’s struck in any other month.

Ipswich – Omari Hutchinson

While the Tractors Boys face the daunting task of visiting the reigning champions, they showed signs of promise in their first half performance against Liverpool, none more so than Omari Hutchinson.

Hutchinson registered an expected goals (xG) of 0.27 to Ipswich’s 0.45 total, producing the most shots (three) and winning possession on more occasions (six) than any other Ipswich player against the Reds.

MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN

City are the overwhelming favourites to continue their unbeaten start to the season, winning 81.6% of Opta’s data-led simulations, with Ipswich given a 7.3% chance of causing a monumental upset.

Guardiola’s side have won 17 of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (D1) since a 2-1 home loss to Leeds in April 2021.

They are also unbeaten in their last 44 home games in all competitions (W37 D7) since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in November 2022. It’s the eighth longest such run among English top-flight clubs in history, and the longest since Chelsea’s run of 74 between February 2006 and October 2008.

This will be Ipswich’s first ever meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium after winning their last two visits to Maine Road, triumphing in a Premier League game 3-2 in November 2000 and a League Cup tie 2-1 the following month.

However, Ipswich haven’t scored in any of their last seven away league games against the reigning top-flight champions (D1 L6), losing the last three by an aggregate score of 15-0. They last scored in such a game in April 1984 (2-2 v Liverpool), while their last such victory was in October 1981 (1-0 v Aston Villa).

Should the Tractor Boys lose at the Etihad, it will be the first time since the 2006-07 Championship season that they have started a league campaign with two straight defeats, last doing so in the top flight in 1985-86.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester City – 81.6%

Draw – 11.1%

Ipswich – 7.3%

Erling Haaland is reaching the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, so says Pep Guardiola.

Haaland marked his 100th appearance for Manchester City with his 91st goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.

The Norway forward has been directly involved in 106 goals for City.

And Guardiola believes the 24-year-old's record can be compared to the exploits of Messi and Ronaldo.

Guardiola said: "He has the numbers for Messi and Ronaldo, who controlled the last decade, 15 years, absolutely everything. In terms of the numbers, it is that level."

Despite his manager's praise, the data does not suggest Haaland is quite yet at the level of Messi or Ronaldo during their most fruitful campaigns.

Haaland has managed a goal on average every 88 minutes since joining City two years ago.

However, during Messi's best goalscoring season (2012-13), he managed a goal every 67 minutes in all competitions for Barcelona.

Meanwhile, in the 2014-15 season while at Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored every 76 minutes.

Norway did not qualify for Euro 2024, and Guardiola thinks Haaland has benefited from his extended rest this summer, as City began their hunt for a record fifth successive Premier League title in style.

He said: "I had a feeling that he feels better than last season at this stage. After last season, he felt a bit [so-so] or felt he was tired.

"This season, I think for the Euros unfortunately Norway were not there, there was more rest and he feels good."

Pep Guardiola was left both relieved and pleased as Manchester City overcame Chelsea on Sunday to banish last season's Stamford Bridge demons.

City and the Blues played out a chaotic 4-4 draw in the corresponding fixture last term, but no such issues were present on matchday one of 2024-25 as Guardiola's side kicked off with three points.

Erling Haaland delivered a well-taken opener on his 100th competitive appearance for City, with his 91st goal for the club paving the way for a routine triumph.

Mateo Kovacic put the result beyond all doubt six minutes from time, powering forward before steering an eye-catching finish into the top-left corner against his former club.

With key midfielder Rodri absent after a late return to training and Phil Foden only fit enough to appear from the bench, Guardiola was satisfied to see his team pass their first test of the campaign.

"I didn't expect it. We are away from our best so three points is the good news. The bad news is we have 65 games ahead of us," he told Sky Sports after the full-time whistle.

"We have an advantage, it's our ninth season together so we know each other well. Of course, there are mistakes you have to improve on but we talked, the difference in being champions was our body language, how did we behave?

"It's the bad moments in the season and in the games that define the big teams. For me, it is an honour to be in charge of these guys. I'm so fortunate, I could not say more.

"There is a plan, defensive, offensive. But afterwards, it's how we celebrate the good moments and come back from the bad moments.

"That's what defines these teams and no one talks about it. For a while, we could never win at Stamford Bridge – this is a big step."

Across the last three seasons, Haaland has scored two more Premier League goals in August (13) than Chelsea have managed as a team (11), and four more than rivals Manchester United have scored (nine).

The Norway striker could have had a second after the break if not for a smart Robert Sanchez stop, before his foul on Levi Colwill saw a finish from the impressive Rico Lewis disallowed.

Yet a routine victory was hardly expected for the visitors, considering they started without Rodri, whose influence on Guardiola's team remains seismic.

Prior to this clash, City had lost just six of 102 matches when Rodri had started since the start of the 2022-23 season, as many defeats as they had suffered in 18 games without him.

Guardiola warned records are there to be broken, however, as the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss hailed the influence of Rodri's replacement Kovacic.

"Be careful with statistics with us because we break it," Guardiola told BBC's Match of the Day.

"Rodri is massively important for us so it's important to have Mateo here because he is an experienced player and a great person. He made a good performance."

Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with little trouble after sweeping aside Chelsea with a 2-0 away victory on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola's team are chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive title and opened their 2024-25 campaign with a routine three points at Stamford Bridge, in stark contrast to the remarkable 4-4 draw in this fixture last term.

Erling Haaland chipped past Robert Sanchez with a well-taken opener in the first half of his 100th appearance for City, profiting from Bernardo Silva's deft offload to send the visitors on their way to victory.

Nicolas Jackson responded for Chelsea by having an equaliser ruled out before the break, with the Blues striker caught offside after Ederson unconvincingly parried from Cole Palmer's dipping strike.

Jackson again tested Ederson after the interval with a volley from Romeo Lavia's header, but Mateo Kovacic's fine individual finish against his former club six minutes from time sealed the win.

Victory saw City – who also had a Rico Lewis goal disallowed – join seven other teams on three points, while Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are just one place above the bottom three after his first match at the helm.

Data Debrief: Haaland provides further opening-game heroics

Haaland has been directly involved in 106 goals in 100 appearances for City, and the Norway talisman has enjoyed the opening fixture in this competition as well.

The 24-year-old became the first City player to score on matchday one in three consecutive Premier League seasons, after David Silva (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16).

He has also scored 13 times across his nine Premier League appearances in August, two more than Chelsea have managed as a team since the start of the 2022-23 season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are winless in their last seven league meetings with Man City (D2 L5), since a 2-1 away win in May 2021, and will have to recover before their next top-flight trip to Wolves on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola says Joao Cancelo could still have a future at Manchester City despite falling out of favour in recent seasons.

The right-back spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign with Bayern Munich after a falling out with Guardiola over a lack of playing time before being loaned to Barcelona last season.

He originally joined the Citizens in August 2019 in a deal worth £60million, making him the most expensive right-back in history, and his current contract with the club runs until 2027. 

At Barcelona, Cancelo led the defenders in chances created (35), crosses (82) and shots (32) in 2023-24, but the Catalan club chose not to bring him back to Camp Nou for a second season.

In 2021-22, the 30-year-old's last full campaign at City, he played the most minutes of any outfielder for the team, while he also was involved in more attacking sequences than anyone else in the league (244).

Now, however, Guardiola faces the dilemma of whether to integrate Cancelo back into the squad, with no other clubs making an approach for him in the transfer window.

"He's training with us," said the Spaniard.

"We will see. Maybe he will stay, maybe he will go on loan. I don't know yet.

"About what's going to happen, it depends on his agents and the club. In the end, if he has to stay, we will treat him like all the other players, with respect, and try to take the best from the huge qualities he has."

Kalvin Phillips has completed a season-long loan move to Ipswich Town from Manchester City, the Tractor Boys confirmed on Friday.

Phillips, who spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan with West Ham, could be available for the visit of Liverpool in their opening game of the season. 

The 28-year-old has struggled to regain the form shown at Leeds prior to his £42m move to City in 2022, making just 30 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side. 

He aimed to put himself in contention for England's Euro 2024 squad with a temporary switch to the Hammers, but that failed to transpire as he endured a difficult spell at the London Stadium.

Phillips started three times for West Ham, losing possession on 49 occasions in his 10 league games, including on his debut, which resulted in Dominic Solanke netting for Bournemouth. 

But the midfielder is relishing the opportunity of playing regular minutes in the Premier League, telling Ipswich's club website: “This is a day I’ve been waiting a number of weeks for now and I’m very happy to be here. 

“I’ve had some great conversations with players I know here and also with the manager, who I have heard a lot about, and I’m excited to be here and be part of his team. 

“I want to play as many games as possible, enjoy playing football again and help the team win as many games as possible in the Premier League.”  

Guardiola had earlier confirmed that it was the midfielder's decision to go on loan to the Tractor Boys, insisting the door is still open for a return to the City starting line-up. 

"Kalvin has gone to Ipswich. I think it's already done, you never know until it's happened. He decided to go there," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.

"You have to have minutes and recover. Play, play, play. Maybe there is a chance to come back here in the future."

Kalvin Phillips has completed a season-long loan move to Ipswich from Manchester City, the Tractor Boys confirmed on Friday.

Phillips, who spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan with West Ham, could be available for the visit of Liverpool in their opening game of the season. 

The 28-year-old has struggled to regain the form shown at Leeds prior to his £42m move to City in 2022, making just 30 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side. 

His move to the Hammers aimed to put him in contention for England's Euro 2024 squad, but that failed to transpire as he endured a difficult spell at the London Stadium.

Phillips started three times for West Ham, losing possession 49 times in his 10 league games, including on his debut, which resulted in Dominic Solanke netting for Bournemouth. 

But the midfielder is relishing the opportunity of playing regular minutes in the Premier League, telling Ipswich's club website: “This is a day I’ve been waiting a number of weeks for now and I’m very happy to be here. 

“I’ve had some great conversations with players I know here and also with the manager, who I have heard a lot about, and I’m excited to be here and be part of his team. 

“I want to play as many games as possible, enjoy playing football again and help the team win as many games as possible in the Premier League.”  

Guardiola had earlier confirmed that it was the midfielder's decision to go on loan to the Tractor Boys, insisting the door is still open for a return to the City starting line-up. 

"Kalvin has gone to Ipswich. I think it's already done, you never know until it's happened. He decided to go there," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.

"You have to have minutes and recover. Play, play, play. Maybe there is a chance to come back here in the future."

Manchester City forward Oscar Bobb will be sidelined for "three or four months" after fracturing a bone in his leg, Pep Guardiola has confirmed. 

It was reported on Wednesday that Bobb had suffered a leg injury in training and would undergo medical tests to discover the full extent of the problem.

He started all five of City's pre-season friendlies as well as their Community Shield victory over Manchester United, and was expected to keep his place for Sunday's Premier League opener at Chelsea.

However, Guardiola confirmed during Friday's pre-match press conference that the Norwegian will miss the first few months of the season, with City hopeful he will return before the turn of the year.

"It was in the training session. Unfortunately, he had a big impact and got injured. He is having surgery this afternoon," Guardiola said.

"Hopefully, it will go well and he will be back in three or four months. 

"We are so sad for him, not because of his incredible pre-season, that doesn't matter, but because we are any time there is a long injury. We are looking forward to seeing him again soon."

Bobb made 26 appearances for City totalling 819 minutes in all competitions last season, with seven of those being starts.

He scored two goals and added one assist, netting a memorable stoppage-time winner in a thrilling 3-2 Premier League win at Newcastle United in January. 

After City sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for a club-record €95million (£81.5m) earlier this week, Guardiola was asked whether Bobb's injury left them short and needing to dip into the transfer market.

"Maybe or maybe not, we will see. I'm really pleased with the squad I have, we will see," he said. 

"I'm set. We will see what happens in the market. We can continue to January in that way or maybe we will add some players."

Another new season, another new head coach at Stamford Bridge. 

And Enzo Maresca could hardly have been handed a tougher assignment as he leads Chelsea in the Premier League for the first time, with champions Manchester City the visitors to SW6 on Sunday.

It has been another busy off-season for the Blues, with the Todd Boehly regime sanctioning a £161million outlay on nine signings, including Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

City, on the other hand, have been largely quiet as Guardiola continues to put his faith in the group that delivered an unprecedented fourth straight league crown last season.  

As two of English football's giants prepare to go head-to-head on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, we dive into the best Opta stats to preview Sunday's clash.

What's expected? 

It will come as a surprise to nobody to learn City are overwhelming favourites to defend their title in 2024-25, the Opta supercomputer giving them an 83% chance of topping the pile.

The supercomputer is also firmly on their side ahead of matchday one, with simulations of Sunday's game resulting in City being assigned a 59.6% chance of victory.

City's last trip to Stamford Bridge resulted in what was surely the game of the 2023-24 season, as Cole Palmer scored a last-gasp penalty in a 4-4 draw last November.

The chances of the points being shared again on Sunday are rated at 20.8%, with Chelsea only triumphant in 19.6% of scenarios.

The Blues are winless in their last six Premier League meetings with City, recording two draws and four defeats since Thomas Tuchel led them to a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium in May 2021.

That result was swiftly followed by another victory in the 2021 Champions League final, but City have since gone unbeaten through nine meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (seven wins, two draws), the joint-longest run without defeat against the Blues in their history (also nine between 1936 and 1949).

This will be the first time Chelsea have opened a top-flight campaign against the reigning champions since 1971-72, when they were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal at Highbury.

City, meanwhile, have made a habit of starting quickly in recent years, winning their opening match in 12 of the last 13 Premier League seasons, the only exception being a 1-0 loss at Tottenham in August 2021.

Maresca thrown in at the deep end

Maresca is set to become the fourth Chelsea boss to face the defending champions in his first Premier League game at the helm, with none of the previous three starting with a win.

Claudio Ranieri oversaw a 3-3 draw with Manchester United in September 2000, Avram Grant's tenure started with a 2-0 defeat to the Red Devils in September 2007, and Rafael Benitez's Blues held City to a goalless draw on his November 2012 bow.

Despite leading Leicester City to the Championship title with an impressive haul of 97 points last season, Maresca – who previously served as manager of City's Elite Development Squad in 2020-21 – was a somewhat left-field appointment by Boehly. Banking some early credit – something Mauricio Pochettino failed to do – could prove crucial.

As a coach straight out of the Guardiola school, Maresca is expected to instil a heavy pressing, possession-based style in West London. The question is how quickly his Chelsea players will take to it. 

Pochettino's Chelsea only lost one of their final 15 Premier League games last season (nine wins, five draws), including winning their last five in a row, yet their players have found themselves on another tactical crash-course in pre-season, which included a 4-2 defeat to City in Columbus, Ohio.

Many members of Chelsea's bloated first-team squad should be suited to Maresca's demands, though. The Blues averaged 12.2 pressed sequences per game in the Premier League last season, compared to Leicester's 11.3 in the Championship under Maresca, also forcing 9.0 high turnovers per 90 minutes to the Foxes' 7.9.

Sunday's game may not offer a perfect representation of what is to come under the Italian, though, with City likely to dictate proceedings. 

If Maresca is willing to tweak his approach, there could be joy to be had on the counter-attack, and new £51.4million winger Neto could relish coming up against City's high line.

The former Wolves man travelled 14.53 metres per carry in the Premier League last season, ranking third in the division behind Chiedozie Ogbene (15.13) and Anthony Elanga (14.54).

Only 12 players, meanwhile, managed more assist-ending carries than Neto's three, despite the jet-heeled winger being limited to just 1,518 Premier League minutes by injury. City will have to be on their toes if he makes his debut. 

Will City be without Rodri?

City ended last season by winning nine straight league matches by two goals or more, the longest such run in their Premier League history, with their final three victories all coming against London clubs (4-0 versus Fulham, 2-0 against Tottenham, 3-1 versus West Ham).

While Phil Foden claimed the Premier League's Player of the Season prize after a series of talismanic performances in the run-in, Guardiola's side surely could not have done it without Rodri.

Rodri has taken his all-round game to a new level, scoring eight Premier League goals and adding nine assists last season – both career-high figures – before going on to claim Player of the Tournament honours as Spain won Euro 2024.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, City have only lost six of the 102 matches they have played with Rodri in their starting lineup, suffering the same number of defeats in just 18 games without the Spaniard during this span.

In the Premier League last term, they boasted a record of 27 wins, seven draws and no defeats when Rodri appeared, but lost three of four games (one win) when he was absent.

City's ability to cope without the 28-year-old could be put to the test on Sunday, however. He did not return to training until Wednesday following his Euro 2024 heroics, making it unlikely – though not impossible – that he will play a full part at Stamford Bridge.

Guardiola's champions did show defensive frailties at times last season, conceding the joint-most goals from fast breaks in the Premier League (seven, alongside Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion) despite giving up the seventh-fewest fast breaks in total (26).

If Rodri misses out or sees his participation limited on Sunday, City's competitors will be interested to get a look at their midfield depth.  

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea – Cole Palmer 

Palmer showed his old club what they were missing last season with his last-gasp penalty at Stamford Bridge, one of 33 Premier League goal involvements (22 goals, 11 assists) he recorded in 2023-24 – more than any other player.

Sixteen of his goals came in home games, the joint-most a Chelsea player has ever netted at Stamford Bridge in a single campaign, alongside Didier Drogba in 2006-07 and Frank Lampard in 2009-10.

With Palmer also making a sizeable impact for England at Euro 2024, including coming off the bench to net in their final defeat to Spain, another productive campaign is expected of him.

Manchester City – Erling Haaland

Palmer's fine debut season did not result in a Golden Boot win, though, with Haaland retaining the prize with 27 Premier League goals in 2023-24.

Haaland has 63 goals in 66 Premier League matches since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, and if his previous opening-day performances are anything to go by, Chelsea should be fearful.

The Norwegian has started both of his Premier League seasons with a matchday-one brace, scoring twice versus West Ham in 2022-23 and Burnley in 2023-24.

He could become the first player in Premier League history to achieve that feat in three different seasons, let alone three in a row.

Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United squad to use their Community Shield loss to Manchester City as motivation against Fulham in Friday's Premier League opener. 

Ten Hag's team almost started the season with another trophy, but fell to defeat in a penalty shootout at Wembley after Alejandro Garnacho's strike had given them the lead.

Bernardo Silva levelled late on for Pep Guardiola's City side, with Manuel Akanji scoring the decisive spot-kick after Jonny Evans' miss from 12 yards. 

“We are disappointed," Ten Hag said. "We have to feel the pain and everyone feels the pain. That's a good signal, but I also see some positives.

“We performed well, we could've won that game, we were twice leading in the game and in the penalties, but we lost, and we're disappointed. But we take the positives.”

The Red Devils have since bolstered their defensive ranks, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joining from Bayern Munich, but they will be without the injured Luke Shaw. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the full-back will miss the start of the season after sustaining a calf injury in pre-season training. 

For Fulham, they will be hopeful of maintaining their impressive opening day form, having lost their first Premier League match in just two of their last nine seasons (four wins, three draws). 

Marco Silva's tenure has featured a promotion and two comfortable campaigns in the top flight, and they have regenerated their squad in the transfer window after losing star midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich.

Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon's arrivals have improved their forward line, and they will be confident of starting the season strongly at Old Trafford. 

The Cottagers prevailed on their last visit to M16, winning 2-1 back in February, but captain Tom Cairney acknowledged a stern challenge awaits them.

“For the quality of their squad, you could argue they’ve been a little bit hit and miss,” Cairney said. “It was amazing for them to win the trophy at the end of last season.

“If they’re on, if they’re firing on all cylinders, it’s a tough night for us.

"They’ve got quality throughout the squad, Champions League winners, but Marco will definitely gear us up to go there and try and win."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes

In the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, United will look towards the attacking talents of captain Bruno Fernandes to provide that creative spark in the final third. 

Fernandes finished as the Red Devils' joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 10 goals in 35 appearances, while also creating more chances in the division than any other player (114). 

The United captain has scored four times against Fulham in his seven games against them in all competitions, only scoring more against Everton (five), Leeds (six) and Aston Villa (seven) of the English sides he has faced. 

Fulham - Emile Smith Rowe

All eyes will be on Fulham new boy Smith Rowe following his £34million switch from Arsenal, with the possibility of joining a select few players should he find the target. 

Smith Rowe scored on his only Premier League start against United at Old Trafford in a 3-2 defeat during his time with Arsenal in December 2021. 

Only Darren Bent (Fulham and Tottenham), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Tottenham) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and West Ham) have scored away against the Red Devils with two different London clubs in the Premier League. 

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

United have lost just four of their 34 Premier League meetings with Fulham (24 wins, six draws), but one of those came in their most recent encounter back in February.

Ten Hag's side have struggled versus sides from the capital, losing their last three home games against teams from London. Should Fulham emerge victorious, it will be the first time since a run of five between December 1985 and September 1986 that United have lost four consecutive games against London clubs. 

But the Red Devils start their campaign in front of their home supporters for the eighth season in a row, becoming the first in Premier League history to start a season with a home game in eight seasons consecutively.

Fulham, however, will be out to cause an upset. They won two of their final three Premier League away games last season (one draw), as many as they managed in their first 16 on the road in 2023-24 (five draws, nine defeats).

Following their victory in Manchester in February, Fulham are looking to win on consecutive league visits to United for the first time. They’ve faced them at Old Trafford in their opening league match three times previously, losing all three (0-1 in 1950-51, 2-3 in 2001-02 and 1-5 in 2006-07).

And there is no better man to lead them out than Silva, who is unbeaten in his last nine opening day matches (three wins, six draws), with his last such defeat coming in the Primeira Liga with Estoril in 2012-13 (1-2 v Olhanense).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United - 58.5%

Draw - 20.9%

Fulham - 20.6%

Kyle Walker believes Manchester City should still be considered firm favourites for the Premier League, as they look to win an unprecedented fifth title in a row.

City became the first English team to triumph in four successive league campaigns as they saw off Arsenal's title challenge last term.

And Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side begin their quest for a fifth straight crown away to Chelsea on Sunday.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5, England full-back Walker was confident about his side’s chances, believing they hold the psychological edge over other teams as they have been able to get over the line in tight title races over recent seasons.

He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s an ego, but we’ve done this now four times in a row – this is our trophy to lose.

“I can assure you, when you’re looking down at your arm and you’ve got that gold badge that no one else has got, it’s a good feeling. Long may it continue.”

City’s captain added that despite the consistent success achieved under manager Guardiola, motivation has never waned amongst his team-mates and they feel re-energised and ready to win more trophies this term.

He said: “For us to go and do four in a row off the back of a treble was a great achievement.

“Now, why can’t we go and do five in a row? Why can’t we go and do something I don’t think will probably ever be done again?

"That’s the motivation we have to create from us as a group of players, from me as a captain.”

A potential spanner in the works could be the 115 charges levelled against City by the Premier League in regards to alleged breaches of financial regulations.

It was reported on Monday that the club's hearing will begin in September and run for approximately 10 weeks.

Pep Guardiola has described Jack Grealish suffering an injury on the eve of the season as a "blow", but he has not given up hope of the Manchester City man facing Chelsea on Sunday.

Grealish was absent as City beat Manchester United to win the Community Shield on Saturday, triumphing 7-6 on penalties after Bernardo Silva's late header salvaged a 1-1 draw.

Guardiola has now revealed Grealish suffered from discomfort in training ahead of the match, in another blow after he was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024.

That omission came after Grealish endured an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, making just 10 starts across all competitions after playing a key role in securing the treble one season earlier.

However, Guardiola has given Grealish a chance of facing Chelsea in City's Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and is confident he will be fit for their first home game against Ipswich Town six days later.

"Apparently it's not much. In the last two days, he didn't feel good, he had discomfort," Guardiola told reporters.

"We trained with the lineup, the starting XI and he was training but in the last two days, the feeling was not good.

"We talked with the doctors and he was not fine and that's why we didn't want to take a risk. I don't think it's a big issue but he could not be there.

"It's a blow because he did pre-season and had rhythm and was aggressive, in the third and fourth game he was really, really good and Jeremy [Doku] was on holiday, Savinho as well.

"It is what it is. During the season, it happens many times with discomfort and injuries. Maybe against Chelsea, he will be ready. I am pretty sure for Ipswich he will be ready."

Grealish contributed to just four goals in all competitions last season (three goals, one assist), his worst tally since joining City in 2021 (six in 2021-22 and 12 in 2022-23).

Pep Guardiola is confident new signing Savinho will be able to adapt to the demands of Manchester City’s packed schedule.

The 20-year-old attacker made his debut in City’s Community Shield victory over Manchester United on Saturday, with the Premier League champions triumphing on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

He joined Guardiola's side on a five-year-deal from Troyes, having impressed last season while on loan at Girona.

The Brazilian helped Girona qualify for their first-ever Champions League campaign with the second-most goal contributions in the squad (19), registering nine goals and 10 assists.

Guardiola is confident he can maintain those levels with City, telling the club's website: "He is so fast in transitions, so fast and he can do 30 or 40 games. 

"I know he can play every three or four days. This is one of the details at which we take a look – how reliable the player is to play every three or four days, otherwise he cannot play in the big teams because the demand is like that.

"I had the feeling he is so strong to play regularly – a lot of games, a lot of minutes."

Last season, City played a total of 59 competitive matches as they achieved their fourth Premier League title in a row.

That tally means they have now played 120 matches over the last two seasons, having completed a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 2022-23.

Savinho will likely bring something different to City's attack, attempting 216 dribbles last season, a staggering 110 more than any Girona team-mate, and completing 104.

"His impact has been good. He’s so fast. He has to try to understand English a little and communicate with his mates," said Guardiola.

"But last season at Girona he was one of the best players in the league. Important.

"Michel, the manager, helped him a lot to grow up and be the player we believe he is. He is a young player, a good transfer for the club, and we are really pleased."

As well as stamina, Savinho will bring creativity to the Etihad, having created 53 chances at Girona last season, a tally bettered only by Aleix Garcia among his team-mates.

His attacking output was on display during his debut, as in just 34 minutes on the pitch, he contributed the joint-most crosses on the City team with four, despite Guardiola's men struggling to produce their usual attacking threat, creating chances worth just 0.48 expected goals (xG).

That creativity will benefit City from both sides owing to Savinho’s versatility, another factor attracting Guardiola to the signing.

"He is going both sides, playing right and left," he added.

"Jack [Grealish] just can play left, Oscar [Bobb] can just play right. Bernardo [Silva] can play right. Phil [Foden] right and left. Jeremy [Doku] and Savinho can play both sides."

Manchester City open their Premier League campaign against Chelsea on Sunday.

Ederson has confirmed he will stay at Manchester City for the upcoming season amid interest from Saudi Arabia, having held productive talks with boss Pep Guardiola.

Ederson has become a fan favourite at the Etihad Stadium since arriving from Benfica in 2017, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League.

However, the Brazil shot-stopper has seen his future called into question throughout the off-season, with Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal both linked with a big-money move for him.

Ederson said last month he had yet to make a decision on his future, but that has changed after talks with Guardiola and others in the City hierarchy.

The 30-year-old has now committed his future to the club, telling ESPN Brazil after Saturday's Community Shield win over Manchester United: "The decision has been made. 

"I will stay at Manchester City this season. I spoke to Pep and it was crucial. 

"I'm happy to stay, fully focused on winning more titles here. I also spoke to the board, the directors, my team-mates and I'm staying."

Ederson saved a spot-kick from Jadon Sancho as City beat United on penalties at Wembley on Saturday, with Jonny Evans sending his kick over the bar before Manuel Akanji won it for City.

He also stepped up to convert City's fifth kick when a miss would have handed United victory, leading Guardiola to describe him as the club's joint-best penalty taker alongside Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

Ederson has kept 112 clean sheets in 250 Premier League appearances for City, placing him joint-seventh in the competition's all-time charts for shutouts, alongside Peter Schmeichel.

Petr Cech (162), David de Gea (147), David Seaman (137), Pepe Reina (134), Hugo Lloris (127) and Tim Howard (116) are the only goalkeepers with more.

Pep Guardiola was delighted to see Manchester City begin their season with silverware as they beat Manchester United in the Community Shield, though he warned their triumph means nothing for their hopes of another Premier League title. 

Bernardo Silva's header cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho's goal as the Manchester rivals played out a 1-1 draw at Wembley, with City edging the penalty shoot-out 7-6. 

Manuel Akanji scored the decisive kick after Silva, Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to convert, handing City their first Community Shield triumph since 2019.

City's victory came despite the absences of several players that made it to the latter stages of Euro 2024, including Rodri, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker.

While Guardiola was delighted to see his side avoid a fourth straight defeat in the annual curtain-raiser to the English season, he warned few conclusions can be drawn as they prepare to hunt a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

"I enjoyed playing against our rival in Manchester United and to start the season with a title is good. We are really pleased," Guardiola told ITV Sport.

"We lost a lot of balls, after transitions they are one of the best teams in the world. They are so dangerous to control, but in the end we did it.

"It is nice to play this game because it means you won something in the previous season.

"Now we'll see how the players come back. The target now is not to win the Premier League, it is, 'okay, next game we'll try and win it'. This is what we have to do."

The team that won the Community Shield has only gone on to finish as Premier League champions in one of the last 13 seasons, when City did so in 2018-19.

Goalkeeper Ederson was entrusted with taking City's fifth kick in the shoot-out, when a failure to score would have handed United victory.

Asked about the decision to put Ederson forward, Guardiola said: "He is our best penalty taker, along with Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne. All three are our best."

Guardiola was particularly pleased to see Akanji convert the winning kick after missing from 12 yards in Switzerland's Euro 2024 quarter-final loss to England, saying: "He missed it in the Euros and I love that he had the personality to take it."