During his time at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola became one of the greatest Premier League managers of all time. With six league titles, three FA Cups and a treble to his name, this much cannot be denied.
With his departure confirmed, the Premier League now must say a heartfelt goodbye to the legendary Spaniard. But who has been part of Guardiola’s best XI during his ten-year stint at the Etihad Stadium?
It probably doesn’t need to be said, but we’ll only be looking at players’ performances from 2016 to 2026 for this XI. As such, the likes of Joe Hart, Yaya Toure and Fernandinho will not make the final cut, despite being excellent players for the Sky Blues prior to Guardiola’s arrival.
GK: Ederson
This one is a no-brainer. Guardiola saw many ‘keepers come and go during his time with City, but none of them were as long-lasting – nor as successful – as Ederson was.
Ederson was Guardiola’s first-choice goalkeeper in each and every one of his title-winning campaigns – the Brazilian is an assured shoo-in for a list such as this.
RB: Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker is well past his best now, but one would be remiss to forget just how good he was during his heyday with the Sky Blues.
Lighting-quick, physically dominant and possessing excellent attacking acumen (don’t let his modest goals tally fool you), many believe that Walker is the greatest right-back in Premier League history.
CB: Ruben Dias
Before Ruben Dias joined City, Guardiola’s men were often categorised as a ‘soft touch’ at the back. Following his arrival, this tag was quickly shed.
The Portuguese icon proved to be an absolute monolith at the heart of City’s defence, being a key contributor towards their treble-winning campaign in 2022/23.
CB: John Stones
Remember what we just said about City being a ‘soft touch’ in defence? Well, John Stones was at the heart of this criticism – however, he swiftly became a rock-solid centre-back under Guardiola’s tutelage.
Once dismissed as a liability, Stones eventually blended his excellent technical ability with genuine defensive acumen. Nowadays, he is widely regarded as one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League era.
LB: Joao Cancelo
Left-back was the hardest position to fill by a distance. We initially considered Nico O’Reilly for this spot, given his fantastic rise to prominence this season, but Joao Cancelo pipped the young Englishman to the post on longevity.
Cancelo ended his City stint on frosty terms, but he was nonetheless a key player for the Citizens for at least three years – furthermore, he also developed a reputation as an excellent utility man.
RM: Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva has been a near-constant presence during Guardiola’s decade at the Etihad Stadium. During this time, he’s fulfilled a range of positions across the pitch, but he is best known for his time as a wide midfielder.
Having joined the club in 2017, Silva was present for nine of the ten years that Guardiola spent at the club. As such, it’s entirely plausible to label him as the MVP of the Guardiola era.
CM: Rodri
Just a couple of years ago, Rodri was widely believed to be the best midfielder in the Premier League. A complete player, his blend of defensive intelligence and peerless ball-playing ability made him an invaluable member of Guardiola’s squad.
Sadly, injuries have seen his stock fall rather dramatically since then. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore just how good – or important – he was to City, particularly so in their treble-winning season in 2022/23.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne
When Kevin De Bruyne was in his prime years, audiences were frequently labelling him as the best player in the Premier League era – as such, his spot in this XI is a given.
A spectacular midfielder with virtually no weaknesses in any department, De Bruyne’s limitless creativity was pivotal towards Guardiola’s success at City.
LM: David Silva
This was a tough one to decide. Between David Silva and Raheem Sterling, we gave Silva the slightest of edges, although it really could’ve been either of them.
Silva was reaching the back end of his illustrious career upon Guardiola’s coronation at the Etihad Stadium, but still managed to produce plenty of magic for the Sky Blues. Guardiola stated that Silva was one of the main reasons he was keen to join City in the first place – he deserves commendation for this alone.
ST: Erling Haaland
Was Erling Haaland the best signing that Guardiola made during his time at City? His towering presence as their number nine has been a major difference maker since his arrival.
Featuring an eye-watering goal record and a stacked trophy cabinet, Haaland is an absolutely unstoppable force on his day. Wisely, Guardiola has never attempted to re-mould him – he simply allowed him to do what he does best.
ST: Sergio Aguero
When Guardiola tearfully admitted that City ‘cannot’ replace Sergio Aguero, he might’ve exaggerated a little – they replaced him with Haaland the following summer! Regardless, Aguero will live forever in Manchester City folklore – he is a club legend in every sense of the word.
While injuries hampered his career, Aguero was a lethal goalscorer when fully fit. A true natural goalscorer, he made a whopping 275 appearances for City in the Premier League alone.