We won the Big Five, becoming the first English club ever to lift the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup within 12 months.
Pep Guardiola has cemented his status not only as our Club’s greatest manager, but in the annals of the game.
Register interest in world champions range
Erling Haaland’s first full calendar year in Manchester has seen him break Premier League records aplenty, including an unprecedented 36 goals in one campaign during the 2022/23 success.
In total, we’ve played 66 games across all competitions in 2023, winning 47 of them.
That’s comprised of 29 wins in the Premier League, 10 in the UEFA Champions League, six in the FA Cup and two in the FIFA Club World Cup.
From Manchester to Wembley to Istanbul to Athens to Jeddah, we are now undoubtedly the best team in the land and all the world.
Here we chart the course of the last 12 months for Guardiola’s side…
January
City reached the fifth round of the FA Cup and win three of four Premier League matches. However, that was balanced out by defeat at Manchester United and Carabao Cup elimination.
We started the month by edging beyond Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before thrashing the same opponent in the FA Cup third round at home just a few days later.
The following midweek proved a low point in a season that we now reflect on only positively; the 2-0 loss at Southampton to end our League Cup ambitions.
A controversial offside call saw the Manchester derby go the way of our rivals, with Marcus Rashford deemed not to be interfering with play despite running alongside the ball until Bruno Fernandes was ready to shoot.
Two successive Premier League victories, including the second-half turnaround against Tottenham Hotspur, followed before Nathan Ake’s guided finish was enough for us to knock Arsenal out of the FA Cup.
Overall record: Five wins, two defeats
Etihad Player of the Month: Riyad Mahrez
Nissan Goal of the Month: Riyad Mahrez v Chelsea
February
City’s February started in disappointing, if unsurprising, fashion. We’re yet to score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having played there five times since Spurs moved in in 2019. This game was no different as Harry Kane got the only goal.
However, that could well have been a spark as we beat Aston Villa 3-1 before winning by the same scoreline at title rivals Arsenal thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.
A late Chris Wood equaliser at Nottingham Forest a few days later put a dampener on things but we steadied to earn a draw at RB Leipzig in the first leg of our Round of 16 tie in the Champions League.
We rounded out the month with a 4-1 victory at Bournemouth and kickstarted what would prove to be a decisive run of form.
Overall record: Four wins, two draws, one defeat
Etihad Player of the Month: Jack Grealish
Nissan Goal of the Month: Kevin De Bruyne v Arsenal
March
A 2-0 home win against a Newcastle United side destined for Champions League football started March in impressive fashion, with Ederson becoming the third quickest goalkeeper to 100 Premier League clean sheets in the process.
It was a much stickier affair at Crystal Palace seven days later but City did what champions do and ground out a 1-0 win thanks to Erling Haaland’s penalty.
The following midweek saw the second leg in our Round of 16 Champions League tie and although we were favourites, few, if any, would have predicted a 7-0 rout and five Haaland goals.
With an international break looming large, City put six past Championship leaders Burnley to reach the FA Cup semi-final.
Overall record: Four wins
Etihad Player of the Month: Erling Haaland
Nissan Goal of the Month: Julian Alvarez v Burnley
April
A hectic month of eight matches started with a perennial classic at the Etihad when Liverpool came to town. Jurgen Klopp’s side, way off the pace in the title race, scored first but City responded emphatically and registered a well-deserved 4-1 win.
The following week’s trip to Southampton saw Kevin De Bruyne become the quickest Premier League player to 100 assists and an acrobatic wonder strike from the left boot of Erling Haaland.
Just three days after that, we hosted German giants Bayern Munich in the first leg of our Champions League quarter-final and put one foot in the final four with a comprehensive 3-0 win.
A 3-1 victory over Leicester followed before we completed the job in Munich with a 1-1 draw.
Riyad Mahrez was the hat-trick hero in the FA Cup semi-final as we cruised beyond Sheffield United before putting title challengers Arsenal to the sword with a 4-1 thrashing at the Etihad.
We closed out the month with a special Julian Alvarez strike and three points at Fulham.
Overall record: Seven wins, one draw
Etihad Player of the Month: John Stones
Nissan Goal of the Month: Kevin De Bruyne v Arsenal
May
Erling Haaland’s Premier League record – most goals in a single season – came in the 3-0 win over West Ham as he notched his 35th of the campaign.
We cruised past Leeds United a few days later thanks to captain Ilkay Gundogan but all eyes were on Madrid for our Champions League semi-final with Real. There we drew 1-1 after Kevin De Bruyne’s hammer blow responded to an equally powerful Vinicius Junior effort.
Another two for Gundogan, including a deft flick over his own shoulder, gave us a 3-0 win at Everton and left us on the brink of another title.
Before that, attention had to return to Real Madrid, who were in Manchester. The European champions and record holders, the Club that have largely made the Champions League their own, were no match for City that night.
We dismantled them, scoring four times to seal one of the greatest nights in the Club’s history in continental competitions and book our place at the June final.
Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest the following weekend meant we were crowned champions again without having to kick another ball. That created a party atmosphere at the Etihad the following day as we beat Chelsea 1-0 before getting our hands on the trophy that has worn blue and white ribbons in five of the last six seasons.
Our final two Premier League games, at Brighton and Brentford, were mere formalities and opportunities for fitness ahead of the two finals that lay in wait.
Overall record: Five wins, two draws, one defeat
June
The first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final started the month as the 2022/23 season extended into June due to the winter World Cup.
Any nerves in the stadium, and there were plenty amongst the supporters if not in the squad, were dissipated after just 12.91 seconds when Ilkay Gundogan hit an all-time FA Cup final classic volley from the edge of the box to put us one up.
A United penalty levelled the scores in the first half before Gundogan repeated his tricks in the second period to seal the second major trophy of the campaign and leave us just one more from the immortality of a Treble.
That opportunity came in Istanbul seven days later. City fans flocked to the Turkish metropolis from all over the globe and made their presence felt on the streets with flags and songs days before the game was to be played.
By the time the match eventually came around, the Ataturk Stadium was packed with sky blue shirts and bucket hats. Inter defended with their lives and threatened Ederson’s goal on occasion before Rodrigo set off a state of pandemonium in one half of the ground with his cushioned finish.
The Italian side had to attack then and did so with gusto, but Ederson was equal to everything they could throw at him.
City were Champions of Europe and Treble winners for the first time in our history. The perfect end to the season that no City fan will ever forget.
From there, the party continued in Istanbul and back in Manchester two days later with a parade through the packed rain-soaked city centre streets.
Overall record: Two wins
July
With barely a month off to enjoy the successes of the last campaign, our players were back at the CFA early in July to prepare to do it all again.
We jetted off to Japan and South Korea for three friendlies as well as a host of other arrangements to thank our growing fanbase in east Asia.
There we beat Yokohama F. Marinos and Bayern Munich in Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium before defeat to Atletico Madrid in a sodden Seoul.
Upon our return home, the competitive football was again just around the corner.
Overall record: Two wins, one defeat
August
After Mateo Kovacic’s arrival in June, two fresh faces came through the door in August in the shape of Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku.
In the Community Shield, City looked destined for victory before a late, deflected Arsenal goal took the game to penalties where the Gunners were victorious.
Our Premier League opener came on a Friday night at Vincent Kompany’s newly promoted Burnley and we started in fine form with Erling Haaland scoring two and Rodrigo the other.
However, there was worrying news as Kevin De Bruyne walked off in the first half with a hamstring injury that has kept him out all this time.
Another City first came a few days later with UEFA Super Cup success on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Sevilla in a baking Athens.
Julian Alvarez then hit a fine winner in a tight clash with Newcastle at the Etihad before a late Rodrigo winner earned us all three points at promoted Sheffield United.
It was PFA awards season too, with Erling Haaland taking the Player of the Year gong and John Stones, Ruben Dias and Kevin De Bruyne joining him in the Team of the Year.
Haaland was also named the UEFA Player of the Year as Pep Guardiola won UEFA Coach of the Year.
Overall record: Three wins, two draws
Etihad Player of the Month: Rodrigo
Nissan Goal of the Month: Rodrigo v Sheffield United
September
Matheus Nunes’ arrival on transfer deadline day got the month off to an exciting start and that was backed up by a 5-1 defeat of Fulham and Erling Haaland’s seventh City hat-trick the following day.
Jeremy Doku scored his first City goal in a 3-1 win at West Ham the following weekend before the defence of our Champions League crown began with a 3-1 home win against Red Star Belgrade.
Goals from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland helped a 10-man City beyond Nottingham Forest in the Premier League but it was defeat in the Carabao Cup at Newcastle.
That was compounded by the ending of our perfect league start with a defeat at Wolves to end the month.
Overall record: Four wins, two defeats
Etihad Player of the Month: Julian Alvarez
Nissan Goal of the Month: Julian Alvarez v Wolves
October
We came through the biggest challenge of the Champions League group stage – an away trip to RB Leipzig – with a 3-1 victory at the start of the month.
However, a scrappy clash between last season’s top two went the way of Arsenal when Gabriel Martinelli’s shot took a massive deflection with just a few minutes remaining.
The victory over Brighton after the international break was our 21st consecutive home win across all competitions, setting a record in the Premier League era. At this stage, we had won every home game in 2023.
Two away matches rounded out the month. Firstly success at Young Boys before a Manchester derby thrashing at Old Trafford thanks to an Erling Haaland brace and a Phil Foden strike.
Overall record: Four wins, one defeat
Etihad Player of the Month: Erling Haaland
Nissan Goal of the Month: Erling Haaland v Manchester United
November
It was the Jeremy Doku show in the 6-1 win over Bournemouth, with the Belgian winger scoring the opener and assisting four more.
After victory over Young Boys, we scored four at Chelsea, but struggled to keep out the opposition and took only one point from the game.
Another frustrating draw followed after the international break, with City much the better side against Liverpool but having to settle for a point. Erling Haaland’s goal in that game made him the quickest to 50 Premier League goals by 17 games.
Top spot in Group G of the Champions League was sealed with a game to spare with a 3-2 home win over Leipzig to complete the month.
Overall record: Three wins, two draws
Etihad Player of the Month: Jeremy Doku
Nissan Goal of the Month: Jeremy Doku v Bournemouth
December
City look to have earned all three points against Spurs at the start of the month before the visitors net a 90th minute equaliser.
Just three days later it was defeat at Aston Villa, with Unai Emery’s side taking the game to us in a way we haven’t seen for much of Pep Guardiola’s City reign.
Away victories followed at Luton Town and Red Star Belgrade, with City fans taking the opportunity to visit grounds unlikely to have been previously ticked off.
A late Crystal Palace penalty earned Roy Hodgson’s side a draw the afternoon before we flew off to Saudi Arabia.
However, we dusted off the frustration from that result with a 3-0 thrashing of Japanese club before dismantling Fluminense 4-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final.
The victory sealed the Big Five for Pep Guardiola’s side and meant we made history as the first English club ever to hold the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup simultaneously.
We returned home for Christmas and a tricky trip to in-form Everton, laying a marker down with a 3-1 comeback win.
2023 – a year that City fans will never forget – culminated with a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United on 30 December.
It’s been a wild ride. Now we get set to do it all again…
