Manchester City 2021/22 Season Review: Four out of Five

Manchester City’s Top of the List (By Yours Truly)
Player of the Season: Kevin De Bruyne

Named Premier League Player of the Season, (to the anger of Liverpool and Tottenham fans), there’s no denying that Kevin De Bruyne is the main man that Pep Guardiola strategically deploys. His granted freedom to run rampant all over the pitch has more than paid off.

His 15 league goals and eight assists make him a crucial talisman to the team, and without him, City would be nowhere near as much of a threat.

Flop of the Season: Benjamin Mendy

(Look, I KNOW most reading this would have instead nominated for this category a certain floppy-haired player with iconic calves who cost the club 100 million, but I promise I’ll get to him later.)

Even though the serious off-the-pitch allegations against Benjamin Mendy are still technically alleged, there’s no smoke without fire. Even before the charges, Mendy was too inconsistent of a player to ever make any sort of impact for City. I think it’s safe to say that nobody misses him. Case closed.

Most Improved Player: John Stones

After being in and out of the team so many times, John Stones has become a stalwart in City’s defensive backline. He’s confidently stepped up when required to, his movement and passing have improved, and his passion for representing the club has become increasingly evident.

Unsung Hero: Ilkay Gundogan

The main reason City won the Premier League title this season (especially on Championship Sunday) was because of this guy. Gundogan’s composure and sharp awareness on the pitch that usually leads to results need to be talked about more. If the rumors of him potentially leaving the club are true, City fans should be weeping.

The signing of the Season: Jack Grealish

I did promise we would talk about him. Look, ANY player that becomes the most expensive player of his nationality, that goes to one of the best teams in the world, is going to be put under a microscope.

So naturally, the expectations from the outside for Grealish for this season were absurd. Did he perform up to his potential this season? No. Did he perform horribly though? Also a no. There is a thing called a learning curve, and as a human, he just needs to be afforded a reasonable amount of time to adjust.

Team Rating: 8.5

Man City’s earlier-than-anticipated departure from the Champions League is an obvious hard knock. There were also too many times where City was by far the better side but still somehow failed to finish the game and clinch the win. But claiming the Premier League title once again, in spectacular fashion, definitely earned them some redemption points.