Manchester City suffered a shock downfall last season that few saw coming, which ended their five-year monopoly of the Premier League title. Not only did the Citizens lose their four-season winning streak to Liverpool, who finished 13 points above them at the top, but they also required a late revival to scrap out a Champions League spot in a race that went down to the wire. Eventually, City finished third with just three fewer wins than the Reds, but suffered five more losses. The main reason for their poor season was the season-ending injury to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, which disrupted the team’s balance and key players lacked form. The side also lost in the FA Cup, making it only the second time the club has gone trophyless in an entire season under their manager, Pep Guardiola. The last time it happened was in his debut season in 2016-17.
The league giants made a swift response at least transfer-wise to change their status in the new season, with the UAE-based ownership making a catalogue of talent-based signings, including French wonderkid Ryan Cherki and Serie A’s best midfielder of last season, Tijjani Reijnders, to significantly bolster their squad. However, lingering issues remain, as it was exposed in the shock 4-3 loss against Asian giants Al-Hilal in the Round of 16 stage in the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, which keeps them on the edge for the 2025-26 season. The burden of playing too many games is also a major factor for the side as they look to recover from their slump.
City will have Rodri back fit again and with new summer arrivals, will have a fresh touch to them, but an intense and congested schedule with Champions League to handle and releasing players for the international break of a World Cup season is a big challenge to claim the Premier League crown back. Players like Omar Marmoush and new face Rayan Ait-Nouri will be unavailable to compete in the African Cup of Nations, or AFCON, in December 2025-January 2026, a crucial period of the league season. Overall, it will be a tough 2025-26 Premier League season for City as they open their proceedings on August 16th, 2025.
Here is Manchester City’s full fixture list for the 2025-26 Premier League season
August 2025
Saturday 16 August 2025
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City
Saturday 23 August 2025
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday 30 August 2025
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City
Manchester City have a challenging start to the 2025-26 season as they face Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspurs at home after their season opener with a tricky trip to Wolves. Guardiola’s side managed only one win in the last four meetings against the North London side in their backyard and suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss last time. With Spurs making some transformative changes this summer, the clash becomes even more perilous for the side. City ends the opening month with a trip to Brighton, a fixture they will be desperate to win given the crunching schedule ahead.
September 2025
Saturday 13 September 2025
Manchester City v Manchester United
Saturday 20 September 2025
Arsenal v Manchester City
Saturday 27 September 2025
Manchester City v Burnley
The first Manchester derby of the season rolls out in the first game in September after the first international break of the season. If that was not enough, they face title rivals Arsenal six days later. That too at Emirates, where they were smashed 5-1 in their last visit, reinstating the woeful season they had. City also lost to United at home, making these two fixtures early troubles for their season. Both have strengthened significantly this summer, especially the Gunners, after they finally added a proper striker to their team in goal-machine Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. Taking three points in both fixtures will show Guardiola’s side taking strides to return to their immense highs, but anything less than that could be problematic.
October 2025
Saturday 4 October 2025
Brentford v Manchester City
Saturday 18 October 2025
Manchester City v Everton
Saturday 25 October 2025
Aston Villa v Manchester City
Although trickier, the schedule is a bit easier for City in October with trips to Brentford and Aston Villa and a home game against Everton in between. Undoubtedly, facing Villa under Emery will be the toughest challenge among the three, having also lost in their previous two trips to Villa Park. City’s last meeting against these top six teams has not gone as planned for their dreadful campaign, so they have to be extra cautious with these fixtures.
November 2025
Saturday 1 November 2025
Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth
Saturday 8 November 2025
Manchester City v Liverpool
Saturday 22 November 2025
Newcastle United v Manchester City
Saturday 29 November 2025
Manchester City v Leeds United
Another crucial period of the schedule arrives in November, with Premier League champions Liverpool visiting the Etihad Stadium in the second gameweek, followed by a trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle immediately after the third international break of the season. It is a huge opportunity for City to make a statement against the Reds in their bid to reclaim the Premier League crown, but not winning any of their last four fixtures against them, including losing both meetings last season, will keep them on their toes. Arne Slot’s side has also made an unforeseen spending spree, indicating that they won’t be letting go of their dominance so easily. City have not lost a single Premier League meeting against the Magpies since 2019 and would like to continue the trend, although both fixtures will be major hurdles for them this month.
December 2025
Wednesday 3 December 2025
Fulham v Manchester City
Saturday 6 December 2025
Manchester City v Sunderland
Saturday 13 December 2025
Crystal Palace v Manchester City
Saturday 20 December 2025
Manchester City v West Ham United
Saturday 27 December 2025
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Sunderland v Manchester City
Guardiola’s men will play six matches in a congested schedule in the final month of 2025, with four of them being away games. One of them is a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, the side that beat them to the FA Cup title last season. Overall, City has a favourable end to the year, apart from the quick succession of fixtures. It will be a shock if they don’t yield maximum points from each of them to enter the New Year on a high.
January 2026
Saturday 3 January 2026
Manchester City v Chelsea
Wednesday 7 January 2026
Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Saturday 17 January 2026
Manchester United v Manchester City
Saturday 24 January 2026
Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Saturday 31 January 2026
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
The start of 2026 will be immensely challenging for City as they welcome Club World Cup winners Chelsea at the Etihad. Despite being invincible in this fixture since 2021, the Blues will be a different candidate this time after being crowned world champions this summer and pulling off some major signings this transfer window. The first away trip of the New Year, a game later, will be another crunching battle against Manchester United, the reverse Manchester derby of the season at Old Trafford. If that was not enough, City traveled to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium to end January. The venue was once a bogey place to visit, but the team has managed to overcome it with wins in their last two visits, hoping to make it a third straight victory.
February 2026
Saturday 7 February 2026
Liverpool v Manchester City
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Manchester City v Fulham
Saturday 21 February 2026
Manchester City v Newcastle United
Saturday 28 February 2026
Leeds United v Manchester City
City’s problems don’t end there as they make the trip to Anfield straight after that weekend. Unlike their recent trips to Spurs, Guardiola’s side has won just once at Merseyside in the nine visits under him and only twice this century. With the Reds more demanding than ever, it will be a huge task for the new-look side to pull off a big result in this meeting. After back-to-back home games against Fulham and Newcastle, the former league winners end February facing Leeds United away. This is also the month that City will balance knockout football for the Champions League, so there will be extra pressure in this period.
March 2026
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
Saturday 14 March 2026
West Ham United v Manchester City
Saturday 21 March 2026
Manchester City v Crystal Palace
If they move deeper into the Champions League or the FA Cup, the team will face a congested schedule in March, but they will be very much accepting of the league fixtures. The reverse clashes against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are at home, with a trip to the London Stadium sandwiched in between. There will be no excuses for City not to build any momentum here as they brace themselves for the tough final two months of the 2025-26 season.
April 2026
Saturday 11 April 2026
Chelsea v Manchester City
Saturday 18 April 2026
Manchester City v Arsenal
Saturday 25 April 2026
Burnley v Manchester City
The penultimate month has the potential to derail City’s charge for the title if they remain in a close fight with other contenders or even have a minor lead at the top. That is because the side will face two London giants back-to-back, a trip to Stamford Bridge before welcoming the Gunners at the Etihad, making them title deciders with just a few games left in the season. City cannot put a foot wrong in these fixtures, carrying a good record in these meetings in respective venues, to move into the final month of the season full of confidence. However, the schedule in April will be even more intense if they progress deeper into the Champions League knockouts, resulting in increased pressure to deliver and fewer rest days.
May 2026
Saturday 2 May 2026
Everton v Manchester City
Saturday 9 May 2026
Manchester City v Brentford
Sunday 17 May 2026
AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City
Sunday 24 May 2026
Manchester City v Aston Villa
The final four games of the season will decide City’s fate, provided the Premier League title race is open till then. Everton, Brentford and Bournemouth are expected to be less challenging, considering they are midtable and not in a relegation scrap by then, so the real challenge for Guardiola’s side justifiably will be against Aston Villa at home on the final day of the season on 24th May 2026. This was the same game City played in a similar scenario to decide the 2021-22 league crown after a 3-2 comeback win from two goals down in one of the most dramatic showdowns in league history. The Manchester-based club are unwilling to drag the title race that long, so it will be a jostle for them to get over the line sooner to restore their dominance.
Note: Fixtures are subject to change
International Match Calendar
Dates
1–9 September 2025
6–14 October 2025
10–18 November 2025
21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026 (Africa Cup of Nations 2025)
23–31 March 2026
Manchester City Schedule for 2025–26 UEFA Champions League
League Phase
Matchweek 1: 16-18 September 2025
Matchweek 2: 30 September - 1 October 2025
Matchweek 3: 21-22 October 2025
Matchweek 4: 4-5 November 2025
Matchweek 5: 25-26 November 2025
Matchweek 6: 9-10 December 2025
Matchweek 7: 20-21 January 2026
Matchweek 8: 28 January 2026
Knockouts
Knockout phase play-offs (if)
1st Leg: 17-18 February 2026
2nd Leg: 24-25 February 2026
Round of 16
1st Leg: 10-11 March 2026
2nd Leg: 17-18 March 2026
Quarterfinals
1st Leg: 7-8 April 2026
2nd Leg: 14-15 April 2026
Semifinals
1st Leg: 28-29 April 2026
2nd Leg: 5-6 May 2026
Final
30 May 2026
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