Manchester City lifted the Premier League title in 2022 for the fourth time in five seasons and made progress in their hunt for a Champions League trophy. While the Blues did not win as many trophies as they have done in recent years, it was still an enjoyable year for Pep Guardiola and his team.
It was also a good year for the club's women’s side, managed by Gareth Taylor, who were Continental Cup winners back in March. Meanwhile, with Guardiola's side currently battling Arsenal for the top-flight title, competing in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League, 2023 promises to be even better for City.
Erling Haaland is on course to break a host of goalscoring records, Kevin De Bruyne will be looking to move past Frank Lampard in the Premier League all-time assists list and Rico Lewis is expected to continue his impressive development after shining in a City shirt. There is a lot to look forward to for the Blues - but there will be little time to dwell on the past. Instead, the focus will be on the here and now.
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Here, MEN Sport's team of writers make their predictions for the year ahead…
Dan Brown
Arsenal have made a spectacular start to the Premier League season and deserve to be sitting at the very top of the table. Mikel Arteta's men, unlike in previous campaigns, are legitimate title contenders. They don't look like slowing down, and City, at least at the moment, are doing the hunting, rather than being hunted. However, I still believe that Guardiola's side will be lifting the league title after the final day of the season in May.
With Haaland in attack, the Blues have a weapon that no other side can call upon. The Norwegian ace, who registered 27 goals and three assists for City prior to the new year, will break the Premier League single-season scoring record of 34 goals, currently shared by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. The 22-year-old will also be named Player of the Year.
City winning the Premier League title is certainly not a bold prediction, but backing Guardiola's men to win the Champions League could be considered exactly that. The Blues reached the semi-finals last season, but should have made it to the final. The two-legged defeat to Real Madrid was gutting for everyone involved in the club. However, I think 2023 is the year that City will finally end their quest to lift the prestigious trophy.
For what it's worth, I don't actually think the Blues will win the FA Cup. If City do prioritise the Premier League and Champions League, they might have to sacrifice one of the domestic cup competitions. They will, however, win the Carabao Cup as well - simply because they are the strongest team left in the competition.
Eddie Howe certainly deserves a mention for the job he is doing with Newcastle United, but if City enjoy the success that I think they will in the second half of the campaign, Guardiola should have done enough to be crowned Manager of the Year. 2022 was good year for the Blues, but 2023 is going to be even better.
Isaac Johnson
Liverpool were on the brink of a quadruple last season but couldn’t get over the line - City could go one better.
It’s an extraordinary prediction, but the Blues are arguably the favourites in each competition with perhaps the Champions League the one where there might be some debate. But with Haaland and De Bruyne, anything is possible.
City’s know-how on winning titles will see them beat Arsenal to the crown to earn a third successive triumph. Archrivals United are City’s only real threat to claiming the League Cup and the Blues will indeed get their hands on the trophy.
The depth of talent in the squad could see them go all the way in the FA Cup too - when, for instance, you have got World Cup winner Julian Alvarez as a back-up striker it’s hard to conclude anything else. The one to complete the set will be the illusive Champions League. The twists and turns of the competition that make it so dramatic make it equally so hard to predict.
The fitness of De Bruyne and Haaland will be the difference here. At the high-end of the season, with City in every competition, the number of games will come a relentless rate. If those two can remain off the injury table during that period, then they can finally get their hands on old Big Ears.
The summer will see a handful of loyal servants leave the Etihad. Bernardo Silva will not want to put off a Barcelona switch for another year and Ilkay Gundogan may also leave for a club on the continent. Jude Bellingham will be sought after but to no avail as Madrid come calling - or even worse Liverpool.
The transfer mission will be to find replacements for the departees. The goal, and probability, for the rest of the year will be to go into Christmas top of the table and qualify for the Champions League knockouts - just the usual.
Jack Flintham
Having done incredibly to improve on their side in 2022, Guardiola will be keen to see improvements from his City players on the pitch in 2023. It is a safe bet that Haaland will continue to break plenty of records, with the Premier League goalscoring record one of those to crumble in the first couple of months or so of the new year.
City's first trophy of the campaign will come in the League Cup with the Blues now looking to be comfortable favourites to win the competition. Premier League glory will be a trickier proposition though.
Guardiola's men are lagging behind Arsenal at present but Mikel Arteta's side are due a slip-up at some stage. The title race will go down to the wire between the two teams and sadly, at this stage, I will predict that City will miss out on retaining their crown even if the Gunners falter.
Frustration from their lack of success domestically will be channeled by the Blues in their two remaining competitions. Champions League success looked destined in 2022 and I am backing them to right that wrong in 2023.
That man Haaland will be the one to push City that step further and complete the set for Guardiola. With the pressure off, City will hopefully enjoy a successful run in the FA Cup too.
Should City manage to win all three cup competitions this season it will be a remarkable achievement. However, it is abundantly clear that the Champions League is the number one goal in 2023.
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