2015-16 Premier League Season Preview: Manchester City

Welcome to theScore's 2015-16 preview of Manchester City. Transfer dealings, lineup projections, and everything else you need to know about the club's upcoming campaign.

Manchester City

Team Page - Roster - Schedule

Manchester City comes into the new campaign looking to rebound from a disappointing second-place finish a year ago. That's not a typo.

Champions two seasons ago, the free-spending, star-studded Citizens are firmly among the best teams in Europe, and their expectations reflect that status. It's win or go home, which, coincidentally, could be exactly what happens to manager Manuel Pellegrini.

There's a particular Spaniard in Munich who may be available next summer, after all.

2014-15 season

Trophies Won: None

That's the key takeaway from last season: no trophies. For a club that's invested so heavily in talent, and already tasted the sweet nectar of success in 2013-14, a campaign bereft of silverware is categorized as nothing short of a failure.

Neck and neck with Chelsea at the end of 2014, City went into a tailspin upon the turn of the calendar, winning just five of its 13 matches to begin 2015 and watching the Blues stroll to the crown with ease.

A similar outcome this year won't be tolerated.

Key Arrivals

• Raheem Sterling (from Liverpool)
• Patrick Roberts (from Fulham)
• Fabian Delph (from Aston Villa)

Money, money, money, money. Money.

City made Sterling the most expensive Englishman of all time when the club forked over £49 million to procure the 20-year-old attacker's signature. His relationship with Liverpool soured despite the fact that he remains one of the best young attackers on the planet.

The Reds' loss is, obviously, City's (massive) gain. For a club with money to burn, getting Sterling, regardless of the cost, could turn out to be the signing of the summer in the Premier League - both this season and into the future.

The Citizens bolstered their squad with talent and worked toward fulfilling the league's mandated homegrown-player quota. Win-win.

Key Departures

• James Milner (Liverpool)
• Edin Dzeko (Roma)
• Matija Nastasic (Schalke)
• Stevan Jovetic (Inter Milan)
• John Guidetti (Celta Vigo)
• Micah Richards (Aston Villa)

Pellegrini's squad will feel the sting of losing Milner. Despite being ridiculed for a workmanlike approach that values substance over style, Milner was crucial to the Chilean bench boss last season, and it was no coincidence that Pellegrini wanted the club's brass to work out a new deal with the Englishman before he ultimately moved to Anfield.

As for the rest of the men above ... we can move on. Sorry, Jovetic. You were somewhat impressive when healthy, which felt like it was never the case. Hamstrings, man.

Projected Starting Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Joe Hart; Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta; Yaya Toure, Fernandinho; Samir Nasri, David Silva, Raheem Sterling; Sergio Aguero

Intricate passing, full-backs bombing down their respective wings, and players getting to the byline and cutting the ball back for strikers and onrushing midfielders: these are the hallmarks of Manchester City's game. They should only be enhanced by the electrifying skill set of Sterling, who adds another frightening piece to a team already loaded with them.

The questions are found at the other end of the pitch. Kompany, though never a world-class defender, has seen his penchant for positional errors become more common of late. Martin Demichelis is Martin Demichelis, and Mangala endured a rough introduction to the Premier League in his debut season.

There's still plenty of time remaining in the transfer window to strengthen the defense, but as currently constructed, can this squad make up the gap on Chelsea?

Player To Watch: Sergio Aguero

This one is a no-brainer.

The Argentine superstar is, when healthy, among the best players currently consuming oxygen - a fact illustrated by his 43 Premier League goals over the last two seasons.

The issue, of course, is fitness. Aguero has endured a series of injuries, both niggling and significant, during his time in England, forcing him to miss 20 matches over the last two campaigns. That makes his ridiculous scoring rate (0.95 goals per 90 minutes over the last two seasons) both more impressive and seriously aggravating. Imagine what he could accomplish if fully healthy. We've been doing exactly that for too long now.

Maybe this is the year. It might not be, but it's nice to dream - particularly when you consider what he could do with the added help from Sterling. Together with diminutive midfield wizard David Silva, the two men could combine to form a Holy Trinity of attacking dominance.

Hey, it worked out just fine for Barcelona last season.

Keep One Eye On: David Silva

Three Questions

1. Can Sterling, having achieved the move he so desperately wanted, continue to establish himself as one of the most electric attackers in the world and give City an added jolt up front?
2. Will Mangala bounce back from a disappointing season and help give the Citizens the defensive stability they need to keep pace with Chelsea?
3. Is Pellegrini a lame-duck manager?

Trivial Matters

• Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
• Nickname: The Citizens
• Stadium: Etihad Stadium (Capacity: 60,000)