1 In at the deep end
City will hit the ground running as they launch their 2017/18 pre-season preparations, with high-profile matches against Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur awaiting Guardiola’s players over the next 10 days.
Both United and Spurs are expected to be among City’s fiercest rivals in the battle to be crowned Premier League champions come the new campaign.
And opposition doesn’t come any tougher than in the shape of Spanish giants Real Madrid, the reigning Champions League holders and a club Guardiola knows all about from his time as both a player and manager at Barcelona.
The elite calibre of City’s three Stateside opponents will test the Blues to the full, but will also serve as the prefect barometer in gauging where their progress is ahead of when the real business starts come August.
2 New faces
City’s pre-season tour is the perfect opportunity for the Club’s summer signings to make an impression on their new manager.
Goalkeeper Ederson, signed from Benfica, and right-back Kyle Walker, who joined from Tottenham last week, have both travelled to the US and will be looking to use the trip to get to know their new teammates and better understand Guardiola’s expectations.
They will eat, sleep and train with the squad, as well as take part in three friendly matches. Guardiola will have the chance to communicate his ideas in an intensive environment and by the end of the tour both new signings will be much better prepared for life in the City first team.
Fellow new signing Bernardo Silva isn’t in the USA. He has been given extended leave after playing a key role in Portugal’s run to the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in Russia.
3 Young guns’ chance to shine
Along with the bulk of Guardiola’s established first-team squad, a quartet of City’s youngsters have also jetted out to the United States.
Attacking midfielders Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz along with Under-18 goalkeepers Daniel Grimshaw and Arijanet Muric have all been included in City’s tour party.
For the quartet, the next fortnight will provide them with vital experience about the demands and expectations that go with being a first-team City squad member.
But the high-profile trip to the United States, which will see City visit Houston, Nashville and Los Angeles, also affords the youngsters the perfect opportunity to catch the manager’s eye and make a favourable impression as regards their long-term City future.
It represents a golden opportunity for four of City’s shining stars of the future.
Visit our dedicated US tour page here
