A season of change at the top
As the Premier League season gets under way, both Manchester City and Liverpool are preparing to navigate life without their most defining figures. Pep Guardiola has resigned as City manager, bringing an end to a decade that produced 20 trophies, while Mohamed Salah has left Liverpool for Turkish club Trabzonspor. According to The Straits Times, how the two clubs cope without their era-defining icons will shape their seasons.
City host Bournemouth on Aug 23 in what will be Enzo Maresca's first league game as Guardiola's successor. Just a few hours later, Liverpool's new manager Andoni Iraola will take charge of his first match when the Reds travel to Newcastle, with a squad that no longer includes Salah.
Guardiola's exit
Guardiola took charge of Manchester City in 2016 and went on to win six Premier League titles and the club's first Champions League crown, among a remarkable haul of 20 trophies. In his final season, he lifted both the FA Cup and the League Cup, but City failed to win the title in his last two years, with Arsenal finishing seven points clear to clinch the league last season.
The Catalan coach resigned at the conclusion of last season, and has since admitted that it will be difficult to return to management. In an interview, he expressed the challenges of finding the energy to lead City's fight against Arsenal in his final campaign. He also turned down the Italy national team job this summer.
Guardiola's departure was compounded by the exit of his trusted director of football, Txiki Begiristain, who left his role in 2025. Guardiola lamented the loss, saying 'a part of me is leaving'.
The changing of the guard at City
Maresca, who served as Guardiola's assistant during the Treble-winning 2022-23 season, has been appointed as the new City manager. Guardiola gave Maresca a rundown of every City squad member in Barcelona this summer, according to The Straits Times, as part of the handover.
But Maresca inherits a squad that has seen significant departures. Key players including Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Riyad Mahrez have left the club. Bernardo Silva has joined Real Madrid, John Stones signed for Inter earlier in the summer, and Rodri was sold to Barcelona for $88.5 million. The departure of Rodri is particularly significant: from 2020-21 to the present, City won 108 of 150 games with Rodri, drew 29, and lost 13. In the 78 games without Rodri, City's points per game rate dropped to just below two.
Salah's departure from Liverpool
Salah's exit from Liverpool was preceded by a rift with then-manager Arne Slot, which led to his departure. The Egyptian forward scored only seven league goals last season, a modest return for a player who amassed 257 goals for Liverpool in 442 appearances. His move to Trabzonspor in August brought an end to an Anfield career that established him as one of the greatest players in the club's history.
The new era for both clubs is set against a backdrop of uncertainty. City have invested three-quarters of a billion pounds into the squad since before the start of 2025, but as of the time of writing, they have added only Elliot Anderson, Jeremy Monga, and Geronimo Rulli to the squad. Guardiola's departure, the loss of key players, and the club's ongoing battle against Football Association charges relating to alleged financial breaches add further complexity to the season ahead.
The Straits Times suggests that City are likely to be Arsenal's closest challengers for the Premier League title in 2026-27, but with both clubs undergoing significant transitions, the season's outcome remains far from certain.