Judging by the scoreline, Man City rode their luck against Ipswich Town last time out.
Enzo Maresca oversaw a 3-2 win over the Tractor Boys as goals from Erling Haaland, twice, and Phil Foden guided the Cityzens to a seventh successive league win. City are the only side to boast a 100% start to the domestic campaign.
Victory over Gary O’Neill’s newly-promoted side saw Maresca write his name into the history books. Pep Guardiola’s successor set the record for the most wins to start a managerial reign. In the process, Maresca surpassed Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It’s an impressive feat given their off-field issues. City were found guilty of a number of serious financial breaches between 2008 and 2019. Even so, City have excelled domestically. The 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield in August feels a long, long time ago.
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A win over Aston Villa this weekend will see them match Liverpool’s eight successive victories to kick off the 2019/20 season. Two more to go level with Chelsea in 2005/06. Three, and they set the outright record.
They’ve reached this stage without even being at their very best. Only Brighton & Hove Albion (23) have scored more goals (19). 14.6 shots per game ranks eighth. 11.3 chances per game is the seventh most. They’re dominating the ball – 64.9% possession is more than any other Premier League team – but this isn’t the same Guardiola-led City side that would, on the whole, obliterate all before them.
Defensively, they’ve not been great either. Seven goals conceded is more than Arsenal, Brighton (both 5) and Leeds United (6). It’s a haul level with Hull City and Everton.
They’re shipping the sixth most shots per game (11.4) and have kept just three clean sheets this season. One of those was against newly-promoted Coventry City. Another was against a Liverpool side that played the final half hour with 10 men.
In this article, we’ll assess the following opponents:
Of course, City fans won’t mind. The most important stat on the table is points earned, and the Manchester giants have 21 of those to their name, at least three more than any other Premier League team. They’ve seen off challenges from Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Coventry, Manchester United, Sunderland, Liverpool and Ipswich.
And with the winning start record within their grasp, we’ve rated their upcoming three league opponents to determine their chances of making it 10 wins from 10 as Simple, So-So or Slip.
Aston Villa
After a slow start to the season, Aston Villa look to have turned a corner. A 3-1 win over Viking in the Champions League in midweek means the Villans are unbeaten in six in all competitions, winning five.
That said, they’ve only won twice in the Premier League this season. The first was at a Tottenham Hotspur side that struggles on home turf. The second was at a Newcastle United outfit that is enduring a tough start under Matthias Jaissle. They’ve claimed just one point at Villa Park this season as they followed up defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest with a draw to Brentford.
Villa, though, up the ante when City come to town. They’re unbeaten in their last four visits of the eight-time Premier League champions. Unai Emery has overseen narrow home wins in each of the last three meetings at Villa Park.
City make the trip to Midlands with a 100% record to keep intact. However, Saturday’s early clash is a potential banana skin for Maresca and his men.
Rating: So-So
Brighton & Hove Albion
Should City get the better of Villa, matching Liverpool’s record of eight successive victories to kick off the season, then next up will be the welcome of high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion.
Fabian Hurzeler has overseen a superb start to the 2026/27 campaign, with the Seagulls currently third in England’s top tier following a fourth successive victory last time out. That run includes a resounding 3-0 home triumph over Arsenal last month. Brighton have scored the most goals (23) in the Premier League this season, and are averaging the second most shots per game (17.9) in the division.
What’s more, Brighton are conceding the third fewest shots per game (10.7) in England’s top tier this term. Top for possession won in the attacking third (51), they’ll hope to disrupt City’s shaky backline. It won’t be a walk in the park for City, that goes without saying.
Brighton, however, don’t travel well to the Etihad Stadium. They’re winless in nine Premier League trips to the blue side of Manchester, losing seven, yet have come away with a result on their last two visits to City.
The upcoming EFL Cup clash between the pair will be a dress rehearsal for the league meeting next weekend. It’s fair to say City would rather fluff their lines in midweek than in their quest to potentially claim a ninth win on the spin.
Rating: So-So
Nottingham Forest
City claim wins over Villa and Brighton. They’ve matched Chelsea record nine victories to kick off a Premier League campaign. City travel to the City Ground to face Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest with a 10th successive triumph in their grasp.
The Tricky Trees have made a sub-par start to life under Glasner. The Midlands side have lost their last three heading into the weekend’s league action, and occupy 19th place. A trip south should be easy for City, right?
Nottingham Forest’s 2026/27 Premier League shot map
It’s fair to say that Forest have been unlucky this season. Indeed, Glasner’s side rank third for shots per game (17.1) and second for shots conceded per game (10.6). Fine margins means they’re not higher up the table. After all, an xG underperformance of 8.5 is the biggest in the division. Going by their Expected Points, they’ve five to their name when they should have 10.
The issue is Forest just do not have a decent City Ground record against City. The Manchester side have won three of their last four trips to Nottingham. Forest are yet to win a home match this season. It certainly doesn’t bode well for Glasner and his side.
Rating: Simple