The Netflix series takes you off the pitch into what made Pep Guardiola’s staff and players tick on the way to Treble success in 2022/23.
Each episode is taking us further and further into the campaign, with the series eventually culminating in that historic night in Istanbul.
More on Together: Treble Winners
As part of the production process, City Studios spoke to many of the first team players who were at the heart of the triumph.
To coincide with each episode, we’ll let the key players tell you their memories of those events the show covers in their own words.
The second episode begins with City preparing for the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.
Phil Foden: I think the game itself should motivate you.
It’s such a big game in a derby, I don’t think the manager needed to speak many words because we know how special a derby is.
Everyone wants to win it, so I felt like we were fully focused on that game and from the second the whistle went we looked right at it and we put them under pressure very early on.
City thrash Manchester United 6-3 with Foden and Erling Haaland both scoring hat-tricks.
Foden: Not a bad game. It definitely sticks out as one of my best memories in a City shirt. My first hat-trick. Against Manchester United. At home as well. I don’t think it gets much better than that.
It’s something I always look back on and smile and [it] puts a smile on my face every time I watch the highlights back. I think Erling’s won enough hasn’t he? So I was like ‘Erl come on mate just give me a match ball for once, you’re used to this. You get it nearly every game’.
Erling Haaland: We got one ball each. Also for him what a crazy experience for him as a Mancunian here, growing up supporting City and scoring a hat-trick against United must have been a crazy feeling for him. But also for me really special. We smashed them at home and it was so nice. Such a nice game, such a nice feeling. It was a bit unreal as well I have to say.
After the game, the series takes us to the first meeting between Bernardo Silva’s two dogs. John featured in last year’s series, while Charles is the latest addition to the family.
Bernardo Silva: I was moving from one apartment to another, so it was tough. It was like a mess in the apartment. I was nervous because I didn’t know how my other dog John would react. He is a bit jealous always. The first few days I thought, what have I done? They hate each other. John would bite him because of food. The other one would be scared and sleep under chairs and under the couch and we would hide and he would also be afraid of us. And for a few days I was thinking I I shouldn’t have done this. And now they just love each other. It’s perfect. So yeah, it was tough the first days, but now it’s really good.
Back on the training ground, we see Scott Carson and Ilkay Gundogan wrestling before a session.
Scott Carson: We were just walking out one day and he just looked a bit tired and I was like, are you all right? You right, Gundo? He’s like, yeah, bit tired. I went, you need to wrestle. Go on, let’s have a wrestle. And to be fair to him, he was stronger than I expected. I thought he’s going be tapping out in a minute, but he he had a little bit to fair.
Ilkay Gundogan: I mean even though I’m probably one of the quietest players that we have in the squad, I think from time to time it’s nice to live these kind of moments. It’s nice to have these kind of experiences and Scott kept asking me before every training session if I want another wrestle you know but it was a bit wet and windy so I suggested that we will do it when the weather is a bit better.
Academy graduate Phil Foden was already one of the most decorated players in the Club’s history at just 22.
He was seeing his standing within Pep Guardiola’s squad grow all the time and in October 2022, committed to staying with City until 2027.
Foden: It was a very proud moment. It shows the hard work I’ve been putting in since I’ve been here. It gets the rewards. It’s such a team game in this team. Even when Erling’s injured we still do well and it just shows the depth of this squad.
I don’t think there’s pressure because I’ve come from the Academy. It’s my dream Club and I’m here just enjoying every moment. I don’t see the pressure side to it, I just see it as excitement and I want to express myself in a City shirt and just do the best I can, so I see it a different way.
In the days between matches, the players spend a lot of time in recovery at the City Football Academy.
Together: Treble Winners reveals there was a special guest in one of the rooms in 2022/23, a bonsai tree.
John Stones: We considered it a mascot maybe? Yeah. Everyone bought into it as well and it was there to be something a bit decorative for the physio room. Everyone took care of it and then it became a thing where, if you came in and you’d not done it, you’d be a bit angry with yourself. You have got to water the bonsai!
Haaland: The bonsai loves humidity, so I had to bring it in the office. The office is the steam room, so got to bring it in there to get some humidity in it. I’m having a bit of responsibility for the bonsai to weed it, give it the water it needs, feed it, get the right light and everything.
Back on the pitch, City ensured safe passage to the Champions League Round of 16 with a 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund. It was Manuel Akanji’s first trip back to his old home ground after leaving in the summer.
Akanji: It wasn’t just another game. It was a special game for me. I didn’t start, I came on in half time and it was like more of a controlled game. We knew if we tie this game, oth teams are through so it wasn’t the same intensity anymore as it was in the first game. But going back there, seeing old friends, that was a good feeling.
However, there was some slight concern over Erling Haaland’s toes. The Norwegian accepts that defenders standing on his feet is part and parcel of the game, but this latest collision worried him initially.
Haaland: It was a normal tackle that was nothing and then I stood up and I suddenly I almost couldn’t run. It was just something that happened that you can not do anything about. But that’s what happens, you never know in football. And me and the team worked so hard to try to get me back on the pitch and I came on against Fulham to score.
Players arrive at the CFA every day in their own clothes before changing into training gear. For some, this is a very important opportunity to show off some of their personality.
Manuel Akanji: I like to dress differently. I have a lot of clothes and I’m trying to come in with different clothes every day. Let’s say a day after the game like today when I’m just tired and I didn’t sleep a lot. I’m just wearing some trainers and a jumper. Nothing special, but on another day I like to dress well and if it’s on game day when I’m not in the squad and I’m not playing at least I have to wear something nice. In the locker room, I’m trying to look good and dress well.
Ruben Dias: To some, dressing is just an obligation and they are ‘here we go I have to dress again and go to training’. Some others and probably I can include myself in it, I take pleasure in doing it. I take pleasure in being comfortable and happy with what I wear. It’s not that I feel like I’m the most fashionable person in the world. I have my style and everyone has his and I embrace mine. I’m happy with the way I do it. I guess in the end it goes a bit to that mentality of feel happy, be happy.
Haaland: Without a doubt I love my style. I don’t think Jack is up there to be honest. Rodri is horrible and Ruben for me is horrible, Bernardo is the worst. I should be up there, Kyle has some nice outfits. Phil has got some nice here and there. Kevin I don’t know why he spoke to me because his clothes are not good. So I’m up there. Maybe not the best, there is a couple in front of me but I should definitely be up there for sure.
Kevin De Bruyne: I feel like it’s an internal battle between players. Everybody has a different style and, sometimes you like one style more than the other, but for me it doesn’t make sense to make a fashion shoot coming into training. I’ve got no time. I need to wake up at 5:30 in the morning with three kids going to school, get everything ready, and then go to training. Please get me something comfortable, what is on top of the pile. I don’t care. When I go out, I’ll wear something nice, but I don’t have the time anymore. I’m comfortable, I’m happy. My wife is happy, I guess. Well, she buys most of the stuff anyway, so I’m good with that.
After a dramatic last gasp win over Fulham, City go into the World Cup break with a frustrating 2-1 home defeat to Brentford.
With many of the players heading to Qatar to represent their nations, it is over a month until City will play again.
Foden: It was such an annoying time. I could see the disappointment in everyone’s face when we came in from losing. It was just like we had to wait so long again to play in a City shirt and make it right. We spoke about it before the game going into the World Cup, signing off with a win and having that peace of mind. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be and we left to go to the World Cup not in the best of minds, but thinking about it, after the World Cup we wanted to come back even better.
Stones: Knowing the importance of that game and what quality they possess and coming away from that game not with the result that we wanted was difficult. That shows me how much we respect every team that we play and know what they’re capable of. Then you must switch your mindset quite quickly and focus on a big tournament. So that was frustrating. We would’ve loved to have finished on a high, but we had to deal with that and make sure that we put it right when we got back together. Over the years you kind of get used to switching in and out of different kind of mindsets and realising to park things and think about it later and focus on what’s in front of you. That was one of those moments.
Most were set for a huge month in their careers, while for others it was chance to take stock ahead of the second half of the season. That included those who hadn’t qualified for the tournament, like Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez: A bit difficult for me because I didn’t qualify for the World Cup with my country and I was really really sad about it because I thought we had like a good chance. We had good players and good generation so but to be honest I after I took these two/three weeks to really relax and to train as well. It’s not like the holiday in June where you can relax so it was like you needed to find the right balance between relaxing and training. But yeah it was good for me because I came back really fit and I started really good you know.
The rest of the Oral Histories are available to read here.
You can watch all six episodes of Together: Treble Winners on Netflix now.
