Fans back City for the title despite Guardiola exit and summer of sweeping change

More than a third of Manchester City supporters believe their club will win the Premier League title this season, a fan poll has found, despite a turbulent summer that has seen the squad stripped back and rebuilt under new head coach Enzo Maresca.

Of 2,725 votes cast, 36 per cent backed City to finish as champions — the single most popular answer. The second-most common response, however, was a sobering one: 19 per cent predicted a fifth-place finish or lower, reflecting genuine uncertainty about where this transitional side will land. Second place received 17 per cent of the vote, third 16 per cent, and a fourth-place finish was considered the least likely outcome at just 12 per cent.

The optimism comes amid considerable upheaval at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola left at the end of last season after nine years in charge, with Maresca appointed as his successor following a drawn-out negotiation with Chelsea. The squad overhaul that followed has been extensive: Bernardo Silva and John Stones departed when their contracts expired in June, Rodri has since joined Barcelona, and Tijjani Reijnders, James Trafford, Savinho and Omar Marmoush have all moved on. Nico Gonzalez is also reported to be close to leaving.

Replacements have arrived more slowly. Elliot Anderson joined during the World Cup window and has been followed by Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Allan Elias is said to be close to completing a move from Palmeiras. Maresca is also understood to be preparing an opening offer of around £100m for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, and a further forward signing is being considered before the transfer window closes, with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo among those linked.

On the pitch, City’s pre-season gave mixed signals. A 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield was followed by a late comeback victory against AFC Bournemouth, a result that offered some encouragement but also underlined the work still to be done. Maresca himself acknowledged after the Bournemouth win that he has not yet settled on his best starting eleven — a candid admission that speaks to the scale of the rebuild still under way.

Whether fan confidence proves well-founded will depend largely on how quickly Maresca can forge cohesion from a squad in flux, and whether the club’s recruitment drive delivers the reinforcements needed to compete at the top of the table.