Power Ranking Every Man City Player from the 2015/16 Premier League Season
There’s no other way of looking at it: Manchester City’s Premier League campaign has been dreadful.
They made significant progress in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-finals and looking far more assured on Europe’s elite stage than ever before, and won the Capital One Cup, beating Liverpool in the final at Wembley, but extreme inconsistency cost them a proper title challenge.
It started so well, too. Five wins from the opening five matches without a goal conceded suggested City were set to dominate. But Manuel Pellegrini’s side began to look frail at the back, particularly with Vincent Kompany’s prolonged absences.
They ended with 10 defeats, collected just 66 points and finished fourth, their lowest league position in six years.
Pellegrini will leave the club this summer, replaced by Pep Guardiola, and it’s difficult to argue it isn’t needed. A new direction, some added intensity, the energy of a serial winner—the most sought-after manager in world football—can only enrich the club as a whole. As summers go, this one looks set to be one of the most exciting for City fans.
Here we look back on City’s Premier League campaign. Thirty-eight matches in which Pellegrini used a total of 24 players.
Every one of them is ranked and graded in terms of their number of appearances, influence on the pitch and quality they have shown throughout the season.
Feel free to use the comment section below to suggest alterations to the list laid out here.
Manu Garcia
1 of 24
Appearances: 1
Minutes played: 10
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
City's academy is set to supplement City's first team with some quality in the coming years.
Manu Garcia could be the next one to become a regular. He is a talented midfielder who can sit deep and control play with his passing. He enjoys possession—exactly the kind of player Guardiola will like.
He played 10 minutes in the league this season against Aston Villa and scored his first senior goal in the League Cup against Crystal Palace.
Grade: Not played enough
Bersant Celina
2 of 24
Appearances: 1
Minutes played: 13
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Bersant Celina, who has just penned a new deal sanctioned by Guardiola, according to Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, is seen as a star of the future by City's academy staff.
He was given a cameo in the game against Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium in February and created a goal with a wonderful delivery into the area.
Grade: Not played enough
Willy Caballero
3 of 24
Appearances: 4
Minutes played: 310
Clean Sheets: 1
Willy Caballero's place in the pantheon of City cult heroes is safe after his League Cup final display—but he's a goalkeeper with serious deficiencies who has often failed to impress.
He's only made four appearances this season in the league, including a disastrous afternoon away at Tottenham Hotspur, with Joe Hart firmly City's No. 1.
Grade: Not played enough
Martin Demichelis
4 of 24
Appearances: 20
Minutes played: 1,012
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
With hindsight, offering Martin Demichelis, 35, a one-year contract extension at the end of last season was the wrong decision.
It seemed like sound logic back then. Demichelis had been City's most consistent defender for some time, and with Vincent Kompany's injury problems becoming increasingly problematic, it made sense to keep his experience around.
No one foresaw the collapse in form that came this season. The time has come for Demichelis to return to Argentina and wind down.
A superb signing, but age has finally caught up with him.
Grade: E
Wilfried Bony
5 of 24
Appearances: 26
Minutes played: 1,222
Goals: 4
Assists: 3
It's a move that just hasn't worked out. Wilfried Bony joined City from Swansea City in January 2015 for a fee that could reach £25 million. It's been a dreadful piece of business.
He lacks the mobility needed to excel in this City side, a deficiency that is likely to be exacerbated when Guardiola stamps his authority on the team.
He has scored just four goals in the league all season—none in 2016.
If Guardiola has been watching from Munich, an immediate exit surely beckons.
Grade: E
Aleksandar Kolarov
6 of 24
Appearances: 29
Minutes played: 2,228
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
It could well turn out to be Aleksandar Kolarov's final season as a City player. He's now 30 and lacks the ball-paying ability to fit into a Guardiola system.
If it is to be his final year, it wasn't a memorable one. His form was poor for the majority of the campaign. He is limited defensively and always has been—and the attacking side of his game also failed to really get going at any stage.
He was poor, and the exit door beckons.
Grade: D
Samir Nasri
7 of 24
Appearances: 12
Minutes played: 535
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
Samir Nasri has barely featured this season after a thigh injury in October saw him need 100 stitches. He's been a big loss.
Few in the City side keep the ball as well as Nasri. He's technically excellent, a player who will drop between the lines, slow the game down and pick passes.
We've seen flashes of his quality since his return in late March.
Grade: D
Pablo Zabaleta
8 of 24
Appearances: 13
Minutes played: 1,062
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
The demise of Pablo Zabaleta has been one of the most difficult subplots to City's season.
The Argentinian, 31, was for so long City's best right-back, a fan favourite and one of Europe's best full-backs. After suffering two serious knee injuries this season, his days as a world-class defender look to be over.
He's been poor when he's played, beaten too easily and short of pace and confidence. A move to a Serie A side would make sense now for a player with plenty to give, but one short of speed.
Grade: D
Fabian Delph
9 of 24
Appearances: 17
Minutes played: 751
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
It's been a difficult first season at City for Fabian Delph. He's only played 17 times having suffered niggling injuries, and his form towards the end of the campaign—after a decent run earlier in the season—suffered.
He has energy and drive, though, and Guardiola may see the kind of raw attributes he likes in a player.
Next season will be interesting for Delph, but this one has been underwhelming.
Grade: C-
Eliaquim Mangala
10 of 24
Appearances: 23
Minutes played: 2,011
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Quite what the future holds for Eliaquim Mangala is anyone's guess. Rarely has a player veered so frantically from sublime to ridiculous. It's a conundrum Pellegrini failed to solve. Perhaps Guardiola will fancy his chances of turning the Frenchman into a top-class centre-back.
He has some fantastic natural attributes: speed, power, athleticism. However, a lack of concentration and little ball-playing ability are holding him back.
If City can find a buyer, they are likely to want to cash in.
Grade: C-
Vincent Kompany
11 of 24
Appearances: 14
Minutes played: 1,179
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Fourteen league appearances from the club's captain and leader. It isn't good enough.
Vincent Kompany's injury problems show little sign of abating, and the club now have a serious decision to make regarding his future.
When he's played this season, he's looked superb, back to his best and the finest defender at the club. The problem has been getting him out on the pitch. He's little use when watching from the stands.
Guardiola is likely to want to bring in a first-choice centre-back to replace him, with Kompany kept around in the hope he can put his woes behind him.
Grade: C-
Nicolas Otamendi
12 of 24
Appearances: 30
Minutes played: 2,672
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
Signed in the summer from Valencia for close to £30 million, Nicolas Otamendi is yet to show he is worth the money.
He was widely considered the best defender in La Liga last season, yet his first campaign in England has been littered with recklessness and a lack of concentration.
At his best, he's a superb, athletic, proactive defender—but he has a tendency to go to ground too easily, which time and again has put City in danger.
He needs to improve.
Grade: C-
Raheem Sterling
13 of 24
Appearances: 31
Minutes played: 1,927
Goals: 6
Assists: 2
Like City as a whole, Raheem Sterling as had a mixed campaign.
Six goals, two assists and 31 appearances represent a decent return for a 21-year-old signed in the summer.
He has adapted to his new surroundings well, and looked excellent at times in the early stages of the season, which included his first hat-trick for the club in the win over Bournemouth.
However, the second half of the season has been littered with ineffective games, and he will have to improve next season to become a regular under Guardiola.
The incoming City boss will be excited to work with Sterling. The former Liverpool man has wonderful natural attributes—they just need honing and polishing.
Grade: C-
Fernando
14 of 24
Appearances: 24
Minutes played: 1,711
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Fernando has undergone a quiet renaissance this season. His debut campaign was hugely disappointing, with his passing and movement letting him down. He didn't seem suited to the Premier League.
He has saved his best displays for the Champions League—but he's shown how important he can be in the Premier League, too. When he plays, City tend to look stronger defensively.
Whether Guardiola sees a place for him next season is unclear. Whatever happens, he's shown a significant improvement in the past 10 months.
Grade: C
Gael Clichy
15 of 24
Appearances: 14
Minutes played: 1,087
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
The first half of Gael Clichy's season was ruined by injury. He played just once in the league before January, but once he was fit, he emerged as one of the most consistent players in the squad.
His superiority over Kolarov was clear. He played all of City's biggest games in the closing weeks, and with his home-grown status, he will almost certainly be part of the Guardiola era.
Grade: C
Yaya Toure
16 of 24
Appearances: 32
Minutes played: 2,333
Goals: 6
Assists: 5
At 32, Yaya Toure is understandably a fading force. He can no longer do the job of two. His 20-goal season two years ago is, in some ways, a distant memory.
But that's not to say his influence has gone completely. He still regularly proves his quality, and when he has been absent this season, City have missed his power and drive.
His embrace with Pellegrini at the end of the game with Swansea on Sunday said a lot. The Chilean values Toure's qualities.
He may not be the most dynamic midfielder in the world now, but he's still brilliant and formidable at his best.
Grade: C+
Kelechi Iheanacho
17 of 24
Appearances: 26
Minutes played: 752
Goals: 8
Assists: 1
It may have been a difficult season for City, but Kelechi Iheanacho has provided them with a huge bright spot.
The 19-year-old has emerged from City's academy and looks a genuine star in the making. Eight league goals from just 752 minutes of football says plenty about his instincts, but you need to watch him up close to appreciate the subtlety in his game. He has a beautiful touch, moves well, is intelligent and supremely confident.
He isn't the finished article—his display at Swansea on the final day was proof of that—but he's a fine player who will only get better.
Grade: B-
Bacary Sagna
18 of 24
Appearances: 28
Minutes played: 2,448
Goals: 0
Assists: 3
City's stand-out defender this season was one who barely featured last term. What a turnaround it's been for Bacary Sagna.
His first season at City was difficult. Zabaleta was the superior player, meaning the Frenchman's chances were few and far between. Establishing any rhythm and form was near impossible.
This season, with Zabaleta's injury problems, Sagna has had a solid run as first-choice right-back, and he has excelled. He cannot match the Argentinian's attacking quality, but he's been solid defensively.
Grade: B-
David Silva
19 of 24
Appearances: 24
Minutes played: 1,801
Goals: 2
Assists: 11
By David Silva's standards, this has been a poor campaign, but 11 assists is proof he can still offer creativity and quality.
In the first five matches, he was superb—perhaps better than he's ever looked since signing for City in 2010.
But ankle pain has troubled him for much of the season, restricting his movement and making turning uncomfortable.
He needs to find a solution to the problem and come back fit and ready to show Guardiola his ball-retention skills will be an asset to the side in the coming years.
Grade: B-
Jesus Navas
20 of 24
Appearances: 34
Minutes played: 2,280
Goals: 0
Assists: 7
He was on the receiving end of some criticism earlier in the season, but Jesus Navas emerged as one of the most consistent and reliable players in the City squad this season.
Only Joe Hart managed more minutes on the pitch, and Navas' tally of seven assists was only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.
Navas offers something completely different from the other attacking players in the squad, which is why Pellegrini found a way to get him on the pitch in 34 of the 38 games. He brings width, pace, directness, hard work and defensive diligence.
Well worth his place in the squad, despite his technical limitations.
Grade: B-
Sergio Aguero
21 of 24
Appearances: 30
Minutes played: 2,375
Goals: 24
Assists: 2
Despite an injury-affected first half of the season, Sergio Aguero still managed to finish with 24 league goals to his name, finishing just one behind Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot.
He hasn't been at his best, but he remains a striker with outstanding natural ability, an instinctive finisher who thrives on scoring goals.
His fitness problems appear to have subsided. Guardiola will want to build his team around a fit, hungry Aguero.
Grade: B
Kevin De Bruyne
22 of 24
Appearances: 25
Minutes played: 2,003
Goals: 7
Assists: 9
City's recruitment hasn't been good enough in recent seasons—but their decision to pay £54 million for Kevin De Bruyne looks like a sound investment.
He's been a revelation. His passing ability outstrips any other player in the league, and he reads the game brilliantly. It's clear he has emerged as City's main creative player this season.
He was missing from late January until March after injuring his knee in the League Cup semi-final against Everton. City's form hit the skids and barely recovered. It didn't feel like a coincidence.
Grade: B
Joe Hart
23 of 24
Appearances: 35
Minutes played: 3,110
Clean sheets: 15
Joe Hart has had another superb season for City, confirming his position as England's No. 1 and providing a solidity behind a back four that too often looked vulnerable.
He managed 15 clean sheets, one short of Petr Cech who won the Golden Glove award.
Hart's form suffered back in 2013, but he's reaffirmed his status as one of the Premier League's very best goalkeepers since then.
Grade: B+
Fernandinho
24 of 24
Appearances: 33
Minutes played: 2,731
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
In terms of outfield players, no one can match Fernandinho's consistency this season. He's been superb.
The energy he brings is perhaps his finest asset. He covers plenty of ground, making tackles high up the pitch as well as in his own defensive third.
On the ball, there's no lack of quality, either. He has a superb range of passing and is the catalyst for the majority of City's moves. His lack of goals and assists will have disappointed him, but he brings so much more to the table.
A genuine box-to-box player whose influence is difficult to measure, he's been the star of the season at the Etihad Stadium.
Grade: B+
