Manchester City - 26/27 Draft FPL Pre-Season Thoughts
Written 17th July 2026 · Everything here very much subject to change, subscribe to the podcast/YouTube channel for all the latest.
This blog is part of Draft FC's Team-by-Team 2026/27 early pre-season series — see all 20 previews in one place here
Life after Pep
Runners-up to Arsenal is almost certainly not the way Pep envisioned bowing out of a stunning career stint at city but it did feel like it was time (arguably should have been time the year before). 78 points, a domestic cup double and the end of an era all the same. Pep is gone after 10 years and 20 trophies, and Enzo Maresca is in on a 3-year deal. Much is made of Maresca's managerial heritage, in that he's a devout disciple of the big man and of the 7 clubs starting this season under new managers, City might actually be the least disrupted of the lot. Possession, control, an inverting full-back, strangle the game. Evolution rather than revolution. It is far too simple to say they are singing from the same hymn sheet though as Maresca is arguably more aggressive out of possession and a lot more structured in his in-possession build-up play. There is so much quality in that squad though, it shouldn't matter too much!
Haaland, then everyone else
Haaland is the obvious number 1 overall as things stand. 239 points, 27 goals, 8 assists, 25 NPxGI and nailed on penalties. There isn't much of a debate to be had unless you fancy Bruno Fernandes' consistency profile. Our model has Haaland projected at 207 for next season and honestly, if City click early under the new man, that could prove conservative. My general rule of thumb on draft day, any level of the draft, if you're torn between a forward and a midfielder, pick the forward!
Mr Anderson
The £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Forest is the one I keep turning over. Anderson was one of the most consistent performers last year - only 10 blanks in 38 weeks, huge defcon volume, 180 points, an all-rounder following very closely in Declan Rice's footsteps. An elite all-rounder. But all of that reliability was built on being nailed at Forest, playing every minute of a settled system. At City he walks into a rotation midfield under a manager still shaping his ideas. Rodri has had reliability issues, Bernardo Silva has gone and Nico Gonzalez hasn't shown the quality to turn city into league winners again. My gut is currently tell me to rank Anderson highly, but I'm still deliberating.
Semenyo an obvious first-rounder?
Semenyo is the one where I've changed my mind a bit already this summer. My instinct was to have him way up there as a mid/late first rounder after the season he had (part of the 200-club quartet). I was aware there would have been a difference in form after the January move to City but the change was stronger than I'd expected. 4.7 points per game after the move versus 6.3 at Bournemouth before it, with the underlying numbers falling too. Most of this is due to 'small fish in a big pond' in a team that has the majority of its goal-share taken by the Viking, but a drop-off nevertheless. Personally I struggle to see him hitting 200 points again this season and will be valuing him accordingly.
The rest
Another January addition Guéhi had a far more consistent transition in terms of his FLP output, but he remains in a competitive centre back room with Dias, Gvardiol and Khusanov all vying for starts. The room does feel airier though with the departures of Akanji, Stones and Aké. I'd assume he starts more than he sits, but with a new manager that's an assumption rather than a fact.
Cherki is a player I liked watching a lot last season too, who offered far more than Foden did who seems to be at a bit of a career cross-roads. Cherki's underlying numbers were phenomenal and the points per 90 output was up there with the best in the league.
And a proper word for Nico O'Reilly, another breakout player last season. 160 points from that hybrid left-back role, 14 clean sheets, and I'm still not entirely sure whether he's a defender or a midfielder long-term. That uncertainty is exactly why he might fall a round later than his output deserves. Another honourable mention to Nunes who we bigged up in pre-season last year who quietly finished up the 7th best defender in the game with 154 points. His draft rank is heavily dependent on the calibre of right-back that City purchase this summer (which I'm sure they will).
The opening run
Perfectly pleasant without being silly: Bournemouth at home, Palace away, Coventry at home, then the Manchester derby away in GW4, Sunderland at home, Liverpool away in GW6. The first 3 are soft enough that I'd start every City asset from the off and Coventry at home in GW3 is the one where a rotation attacker could go big. The derby and Anfield later in the run mean it's not a value goldmine, but there's nothing scary early either.
Early verdict
Still the safest floor in the league and Haaland goes first or second in every draft guaranteed. Below him it's murkier than a typical City season: Anderson and Guéhi will attract interest, the wide rotation is a minefield and even a Pep-adjacent manager deserves a small first-season discount while the squad adjusts. Draft the certainty - Haaland, Donnarumma, Gvardiol etc - and be patient with the rest. I'd still make them Arsenal's closest challengers.
Stay shook,
Draft FC Mitch
Where our full rankings live
As I said, these previews are just some of my notes and early thoughts, my complete top 240 rankings live within our members area. The Top 20 reveal stays free so keep your eyes peeled for that episode in early August. The rest though, plus all our other member benefits, sit inside a Draft FC membership and if you want to find out more about that, head here.
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