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.
As part of the production process, City Studios spoke to many of the first team players who were at the heart of the triumph.
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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.
At the start of the third episode, we see Pep Guardiola sign a new City contract before the players return from the World Cup.
During that time, the seven members of the senior squad not at the World Cup were joined by the EDS at a training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Erling Haaland: I made sure my body was doing well. I relaxed a lot. I didn’t train a lot, of course I trained, but I didn’t train too much because my focus was on just resting my head as much as possible for the second half of the season. I got some sun on my body and tried not to think too much of football. The break was good for me.
Rico Lewis: I think it was really important. I think it also gave a chance for some of the younger lads, like to train with the first team as well. And for me, I was with all my mates again, training. So I think it was a really good experience for everyone, and definitely important to keep everyone lunified after that Brentford loss. We still stayed together. And then obviously we had the Liverpool game after that, which was another big game.
City’s first game back was a Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium just four days after the World Cup final.
Returning to domestic action provided different challenges for each of the players.
Rodrigo: I just came back and got the dynamic so quick because the games came very, very soon. Julian was the only winner. And the other ones were sharing moments when we face each other in the World Cup. And try to get on together to, to focus on, on the new targets that we have, that the others are gone.
Ruben Dias: After the World Cup was essentially making sure I would make the best recovery possible, especially because of the problem I had had before last season. The season was just starting in a way. The comeback was a little frustrating when you come back and you don’t play. The player that is happy with that is not very ambitious but like every other situation in life, in football you have to be resilient, you have got to do what you do and you just have just got to wait for it and be ready for when it comes.
Phil Foden: It was really hard to get back into, into the swings of things because obviously after the World Cup it’s so draining. You give your all for your countries and then we had a little period where we had a little break and then was back to City. So I think a few of the lads, especially me, found it hard to get back into the swing of things. But I think gradually, we we’re back in full flow and back to our best again.
The first Premier League assignment came at Leeds United. It was a memorable night for Erling Haaland, given his dad played for both sides.
As is shown in the series, Rodrigo also steps up and delivers the pre-match team talk.
Rodrigo: One of the things I think I’m growing the most is the image I have with the lads with the team. I think I have to do a step forward in this sense. Some of the players have to do a step forward. It’s important to show the emotional side that your team-mates can follow you and you can send a message of what you think in that moment. I remember from the first day of the week I was thinking about doing it. I said to the lads that we can do it again and they have to respect this team because we’ve been champions all these years. So we just have to focus on ourselves, don’t look much to others and go again. That was the message in that moment. And of course, when I feel that in other moments, I will do it because I think it’s good for the lads.
Erling Haaland: It was a special game at Elland Road with my family in the stands. It was a special game and a bit unreal. Father in my stands playing against Leeds for Manchester City in my wildest dreams, I would never think of this. It was a really happy moment. I really appreciate everyone that applauded me and supported me.
Julian Alvarez returned to Manchester as a World Cup winner with Argentina, having played a key role for his nation.
Alvarez: I remember that day very well. The welcome I got was amazing. Everyone was so happy for my achievement, for Argentina’s achievement. Team-mates, staff, everyone was so excited and that made me really happy. I’ve had some jokes with Nathan because that was a big game but we’re able to leave it on the pitch.
There was a heartwarming moment after City’s draw with Everton as Jack Grealish met fan Finlay Fisher, who he had dedicated his goal against Iran to with a special celebration.
Grealish: He wrote me a letter and I wrote one back to him and then I went and met him. I don’t know if he knew, I don’t think he knew that I was coming. It was just so nice to see his reaction and he’s got the same illness as my little sister. Cerebral palsy. It’s something that means a lot to me and touches my heart. If I can just help him in, in any sort of way and help the family because it’s so hard for them too then I will. You can just see how much it means to them.
While we were putting a good run together on the pitch, the players had another serious topic on their minds.
Rodrigo: 100% I will prefer fight with a hippo than a crocodile. Crocodile is a hunter, 100%. The hippo is vegetarian, so it makes no sense because crocodiles eat meat. So I would rather hippo. Everyone was agreeing the same and I was the only one who was with another opinion.
Akanji: I think the hippo is more dangerous than a crocodile. Hippos are nasty. Yeah, nasty. You’ve seen those videos of them chasing things and it’s just crazy.
Nathan Ake: I don’t know what Twitter said in the end, but for me it’s a hippo. It’s a hippo. And Rodri keeps saying it’s not about that. I’ve seen a few videos where hippos are so strong and I’ve seen them coming out of the water and stuff like that. So for me it’s a hippo. Rodri says a crocodile because he’s more of a predator. And it is because hippos are vegetarian, but still, it can still get you, you know, whenever, whenever you’re not ready. So, no, I say hippo for sure. The funny thing is it gets so intense because we are very competitive, especially Rodri in this kind of things. He has to make sure his point is across, come across and that’s the right thing and then everyone jumps on it again.
Our unbeaten start to the second half of the season ended abruptly with a 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Southampton.
Kyle Walker: On a personal note for me that game was a wake up call because I was in and out of the team, I wasn’t really playing too well and I got dragged off again at 45 minutes. So it hurt massively that game. I was playing centre-back, out of position, but that’s not an excuse. I play for this great club and I should be able to play in any position at any given time and do well. Sometimes in a season, you do need that little bit of a kickstart to get you going. I feel that that game probably came at a great time, but obviously we didn’t want to leave that competition. I do feel that in that moment it is what we needed a kick up the backside to obviously put us into the great form that we went into.
A few days later, we suffered a controversial 2-1 defeat at Manchester United. After taking the lead, we were pegged back when a clearly offside Marcus Rashford was deemed not to be interfering with the ball as Bruno Fernandes stepped in to shoot instead.
Manuel Akanji: I think it’s the worst goal I’ve ever conceded. The way it happened with the offside, with the referees. I’ve seen the action after the game a lot of times and was thinking about what I could have done better. But I don’t see anything that I would’ve done differently in another situation. He [Rashford] follows the ball for like 30 metres and stops in the last second. He irritates me.
He irritates Ederson, he irritates Kyle who was right next to me. We all could have gotten to the ball if he’s not in the position. And it’s clearly interfering with the ball. So I still don’t understand to this day how this could have happened. But it happened and it was really bad because we were in total control of the game. I don’t see another way United coming back into this game. It’s past us now and we showed some good reactions after this game.
Bernardo Silva: We came back from the World Cup and we start playing well. The draws in the cups are tough because we play Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool. Then you go to Southampton in the Carabao Cup and lose that game. Then when you’re getting a little bit closer to Arsenal and you’re thinking we can have a shot at this, that game was frustrating because we had it under control in the moment.
It was the moment of the game where they weren’t creating anything at all. And that offside goal, it’s just, come on, everyone saw it. And it’s just so frustrating to be on the pitch and to know that the guy interferes with the play, interferes with our defender, with our goalkeeper, and the VAR doesn’t do anything. Even the referee that first this allows the goal, then he overturns that decision. So yeah, maybe it was, it was where we thought, wow, it’s, we cannot drop any more points anymore because if we do it’s just finished. And from that moment, I feel we still dropped a few points after that but we got into the run that eventually won us the Premier League.
We were 2-0 down at half-time of our home Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur a few days later.
Pep Guardiola was not happy with his players but he does single out teenage Academy product Rico Lewis for praise.
Lewis: I’ve been through the whole journey and I think even when Pep wasn’t here, there was always a philosophy and there was always a way that we wanted to play even at a young level. When he came here, I think the level just rose and it was amazing to then be part of his squad where I’m one of the people that are starting.
I was starting a few games in a row for him and him even singling me out in interviews and then in front of the, in front of the group, it was intimidating for me because it was like I was just trying to do my job. I wasn’t really trying to get any attention or anything like that, but for it to happen, it’s something that I think after it, it sunk in and it was a big moment in terms of him trusting me and him thinking that he can rely on me.
He said this to me in front of the other players in the dressing room who are world class players.
City turn the game around and win 4-2.
At 18, the defender and occasional midfielder had already earned the respect of his peers, who are keen to help him be the best player he can be.
Rodrigo: We play very close each other. I try to, to explain to him that in this position, you have to think very quick. Of course in this league you have to always be where the spaces are. It is the position you that you give fluency to the team. It’s not his position, so he needs to learn from the players who play in these situations. But I think he has a natural talent to understand this kind of thing.
So I think he doesn’t need much help. The fact that if he wants to listen, if he wants to, to improve, by the time he will get it, because he’s a smart player. I think he’s been brilliant since he, since he appeared but he needs to understand that he’s very young and he needs to improve and it’s not going to be always like this. He understands all of these things.
Nathan Ake: We don’t really have to give too much in the games and stuff, you’re trying to help him and there or before the game, trying to point out little things. What to focus on in the game and stuff. We see him as a first team player. He’s played a lot of games now and he’s such a good guy and we know he’s not going to change off the pitch and suddenly, because of all the praise and stuff started to do different things. Every day he’s been working hard. He’s still the same guy and no, he deserves everything.
Off the back of that performance, the series takes us to Phoenix Muay Thai Boxing gym in Whitefield, Manchester which is run by Rico’s dad Rick.
Lewis: I was just a kid that liked to do everything. I never really liked to sit still. I always had to be doing so much. I did football whenever I wanted to and then I would be at the gym. I was there and most of the time I was playing football at the gym as well. It was all very natural and he was always supportive of me doing whatever. I think that’s helped me and brought me a long way.
After beating Wolves 3-0 with an Erling Haaland hat-trick, we lose at Spurs. The only goal is scored by Harry Kane after a rare misplaced pass by Rodrigo.
Rodrigo: This is football sometimes. Because of the way we play, because the position I play sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. And that moment I miss my pass and they score and we lost. This is part of football. The most important thing is to move on and to learn from these things. I think the player that can learn about these details about these things is going to be a better player every day. I must have no regrets and learn to avoid it for the next times.
Victories over Aston Villa and Arsenal saw us regain our form and move top of the Premier League table with 15 matches remaining.
The rest of the Oral Histories are available to read here.
You can watch all six episodes of Together: Treble Winners on Netflix now.
