Guardiola’s first eleven at Manchester City. What did it look like and where are its members today?

The Spanish coach has been on the Manchester City bench since 2016 and he played his first game in his new job against Sunderland on 13th August 2016. The Citizens literally suffered a 2-1 win. What did the lineup look like then and where are its members today?

The match was as we are used to at Manchester City. 77% ball possession, 16 shots and three times more passes made than the opposition. However, despite their apparent dominance at first glance, they were rather over-enthusiastic about the narrow win.

Willy Caballero

The Argentine goalkeeper has always been a substitute. Joe Hart was the unshakable number one in goal until the arrival of the Spanish coach, who sat Hart and put Caballero in goal. He returned to the bench after the club was reinforced by Claudio Bravo. He left the club in May 2017 and now works as a substitute at Southampton.

Bacary Sagna

He signed for Manchester as a free agent in 2014 when his contract at Arsenal expired. He lasted at the club for three years and enjoyed a League Cup win. After playing almost ninety games, he signed as a free agent for Italian side Benevento. He finished his career after two years at Montreal.

John Stones

He came to Manchester the same year as Pep Guardiola. The then £50 million made him the second most expensive defender on the planet. Stones is in his seventh year at the club, during which time he has won the league 4 times, the FA Cup once, the League Cup twice and the Community Shield twice.

Aleksandr Kolarov

Left-back who started at centre-back in the match in question. He didn’t do well under Guardiola and left for AS Roma after one year together. He certainly left a significant mark on the club. In seven years he played almost 250 games and won a total of six trophies. He retired from active career in 2022.

Gaël Clichy

A great left-back who arrived from Arsenal in 2011. He played 6 seasons for City and managed to play over 200 games and win five trophies during that time. He spent only one season with the Spanish international and left for Basaksehir after the end of that season. Clichy is still an active footballer and is finishing his career at Servette in Switzerland.

Fernandinho

A modern-day Manchester City legend and a great defensive midfielder. He spent nine years in England, during which he managed to play almost 400 competitive matches and win 13 trophies. Often a very underrated footballer. In 2022 he returned home to Brazil, where he plays for Athletico Paranaense.

Kevin de Bruyne

The second of the two players still active at Manchester City. A brilliant playmaker and one of the best midfielders in modern history. Since Guardiola sat on the Citizens bench, Kevin has produced nearly 130 goal assists and scored over 70 goals. With the club, he has conquered 11 trophies.

David Silva

The Spanish playmaker has become an absolute legend at the club. He played 436 games in his ten-year tenure. His ease and genius on the pitch led the club to win 14 trophies in total. Silva is still an active footballer, having returned from Manchester to Real Sociedad, where he is currently still based.

Nolito

Nolito joined the club from Celta Vigo for almost £14 million. The time he spent here cannot be described as entirely successful. He only played one single season for City. He and his family were not settled and comfortable in England.

Nolito moved back to Spain after a year. First to Sevilla and then a return to Celta Vigo, currently playing in the second league for Ibiza, who are last in the table.

Raheem Sterling

The English winger has left quite a trail behind him. A bit of a bad boy, he has spent seven seasons here. He scored 131 goals, which helped to eleven trophies during his presence.

Sterling is still in his prime footballing years. In the summer of 2022, he swapped Manchester for London, specifically Chelsea, who paid almost £50 million for him.

Sergio Agüerro

We close the list with one of the best and most feared strikers of his time. He had a wonderful ten years at the club, during which he collected a decent record of 390 games, 260 goals and 15 trophies.

At the end of his contract, he left as a free agent to Barcelona. Heart problems only allowed him to play in five competitive matches and he was later forced to retire.

Source: Transfermarkt, Premier League