Pep's greatest challenge and Manchester City's most important moment - welcome to the new season

Welcome back to another season.

As Manchester City go in search of a fifth straight Premier League crown on Sunday, when they start their campaign at Chelsea, it feels like this year will go down as one of the most important in the history of the club.

Pep Guardiola is in the final year of his latest contract, and the expectation is that this will be his last year at the Etihad. But after an exhausting eight years that have brought an exhaustive list of trophies won, the hunger is still there from a man who is ready to throw everything at it again in a bid to win more trophies.

When nobody thought a team could win four leagues in England in a row, City became that side last year as they fought their way past Arsenal and Liverpool to make history. Despite further strengthening from Mikel Arteta at the Emirates, few would dare bet against the Blues as they try to turn four into five.

Then there is the Champions League - an extended Champions League that promises more games, more money, and quite possibly more interest in the group stage. City set out to dominate Europe in the wake of their Istanbul win in 2023, yet they were sent tumbling out of last season’s competition in the cruellest fashion courtesy of a penalty shootout at home to Real Madrid.

If Guardiola is planning one last hurrah, a second Champions League crown in three years would be the perfect way to embellish his time in Manchester as well as cement the club’s position at the top of European football. It would be some high to go out on - or extend for more years!

It has been a strange transfer window though. City are on course for their lowest spend since 2006 - two years before Sheikh Mansour started investing billions into the club - with Savinho the only