'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABv/aAAgBAQAAAAAkE//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAIAQIQAAAAL//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAIAQMQAAAAf//EAB4QAAICAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQQAEgUGMUKT/9oACAEBAAE/AOoV6PAvG6ujDmV12KoHBCsxPYiBm2k+haFj+qWWuYxxgbTKSMpseZ+ef//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEAAxT/2gAIAQIBAT8A0WAz/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECIf/aAAgBAwEBPwC4S1H/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rewind to the 11th of May, 2008.
Middlesbrough may not be a part of the Premier League anymore, but their 8-1 thrashing of Manchester City remains the highlight of their time in the top flight. Afonso Alves took the blue side of Manchester to the cleaners on that day, and the average City supporter wondered if his club would ever bounce back.
Fast forward to 2019, and Manchester City have done a lot more than just bounce back.
Such has been the revolution at the Etihad stadium, that their debacle of a showing over ten years ago has been consigned to repressed memory. The club's owner Sheikh Mansour seems to have an endless supply of money, and Manchester City has undoubtedly found immense benefit in his benevolence.
Irrespective of how much money has been spent on whom, success remains a priority for any football club, and Manchester City has experienced it in heaps. The club has won 4 of the 9 Premier League campaigns they have been a part of since 2010 - an impressive feat considering the abundance of quality in the Premier League.
While youth players like Phil Foden are currently making their way into the first team, Manchester City's incredible success has been heavily dependent on the success of their transfers. The club has splashed the cash when required, but have also been quite shrewd about some of their transfers.
Manchester City's heavy spending began as soon as the Etihad group came into the picture, but some of their high-profile signings like Robinho, Jerome Boateng, and Shaun Wright-Phillips never really got going at the club. The appointment of Barcelona's Txiki Begiristain certainly helped in this regard, and Manchester City went from strength to strength as they progressed through the decade.
Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, and Pep Guardiola all played crucial roles in bringing players of exceptional quality to the club. Some are well are on their way to greatness, while others have already established themselves as club legends. Taking into account their impact and longevity at the club as well as their transfer fee, we take a look at the cream of the crop.
Honorable mentions - Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, Samir Nasri, Gabriel Jesus
#10 Kyle Walker
Dedication is not nearly as common as you would expect in the world of football, but Kyle Walker is as dedicated a player as you'll find.
The 29-year-old right-back made the switch to the Etihad from Tottenham in 2017 and was an instant success. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City depends heavily on marauding full-backs and Kyle Walker is an ideal fit.
Pace and tenacity are excellent qualities to have as a defender, and Walker's ability to cover ground in both defense and attack makes him a brilliant addition to any side. The Englishman has been an integral part of Manchester City's massive title victories over the past two years.
It is not easy to stand out in Manchester City's squad, but the willingness to go the extra mile for the team makes Walker a special player. Goalkeeping is an entirely different skill in the sport, but Walker was more than happy to take up the mantle himself when his side was in dire need of some genuine courage.
Kyle Walker has often had to fight for his place in Manchester but refuses to give anything less than his absolute best when he is on the pitch.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League table
#9 Aymeric Laporte
Pep Guardiola has worked with a variety of players during his managerial career, but it is common knowledge that the Catalan prefers a particular breed of players.
Guardiola's ideal center-back belongs to the highly technical ball-playing category and must have the ability and awareness to maintain a high line on the pitch. Aymeric Laporte is one of the few defenders in the world who seem to fit the bill.
Laporte is of both Basque and French descent and spent his formative years at Athletic Bilbao. Manchester City secured his services from Athletic Bilbao in the winter transfer window in 2018 for a hefty fee of £57 million.
The defender started most of Manchester City's game in the 2018-19 season and was an imperious presence in City's backline. The team's style of playing the ball out from the back suited him perfectly, and he excelled at dictating play from within his half of the pitch with Fernandinho for company.
The Frenchman suffered an injury at the start of the 2019-20 season and has been sorely missed by Manchester City. The club's defense has lacked his quiet confidence on the pitch, and Pep Guardiola will surely be looking forward to his return.
#8 Ederson
For a swashbuckling attacking side like Manchester City, a stable defensive base must be established to extract as much potential as possible from the forwards. A good goalkeeper is naturally a prerequisite.
There are not many shot-stoppers in world football today who can match up to Manchester City's Ederson Moraes.
The Brazilian signed up as Manchester City's goalkeeper from Benfica in 2017 and hasn't looked back since. A simple glance at Ederson with the ball at his feet and it is evident that he fits Pep Guardiola's bill of an ideal goalkeeper perfectly.
The Catalan's tactics require his goalkeepers to be incredibly adept at playing the ball out from the back, and Ederson's skills go a step further. Joe Hart was an excellent shot-stopper but was unable to live up to Guardiola's expectations and could not to adapt to the new manager's philosophy.
Ederson, on the other hand, can not only pass the ball under pressure with consummate ease but also has the uncanny ability to pick out the likes of Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling on the field with pinpoint accuracy. Moves such as these indicate Manchester City's ability to involve the entire team in an offensive move and often have devastating results for the opposition.
At 26 years of age, Ederson is reaching his prime and is already one of the best in the world at the art of goalkeeping. Finding an excellent shot-stopper is a recurring headache for most clubs, but Manchester City seems to have solved that problem for the next decade at the very least.
#7 Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva is yet another prodigious product of Benfica's youth academy. The winger made his name in Ligue 1 for Monaco, where he registered 8 goals and 9 assists for the French club in the 2016-17 season.
The same season saw Monaco embark on a brilliant run in the Champions League, where they knocked out Manchester City on away goals in an enthralling contest which ended 6-6 on aggregate. Pep Guardiola was thoroughly impressed by Bernardo Silva's performances and decided to add him to an already lengthy list of young, talented players at the club.
Bernardo Silva moved to Manchester City for a fee of €50 million and has gone from strength to strength at the club. The 25-year-old is virtually unplayable on his day, and a combination of pace and exceptional close control makes him a very exciting prospect. His performances in the Premier League have also made him a regular starter in Portugal's national team.
With his natural Portuguese flair and dribbling skills that are seen only a few times in a generation, Bernardo Silva is very likely to torment the league's defenses for years to come.
#6 Fernandinho
Fancy footwork and heaps of tricks are all well and good but do not always win you matches. Football also involves a lot of dirty work, and Manchester City's Fernandinho can accomplish what is necessary on the pitch with copious amounts of grace and poise.
The Brazilian defensive midfielder signed for Manchester City from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for a fee of €40 million and was one of Manuel Pellegrini's first signings. He adapted well to the Pellegrini's style of management and played an important role in Manchester City's title triumph in his very first season at the club.
Under Pep Guardiola, Fernandinho's game improved considerably. Guardiola is known to pay attention to the finest details of the game and communicate his tactical knowledge to his players, and Fernandinho's experience and understanding of the game allow his manager the room to innovate.
In addition to his tenacity and passing ability, Fernandinho is considerably versatile as well. The Brazilian has displayed a certain knack when it comes to adapting different roles within the team and can also be deployed as a center-back if a dire situation arises.
Players like Fernandinho are not easy to find in today's transfer market, and with the 34-year-old Brazilian entering the latter stages of his career, Manchester City's board and management have their task cut out for them to find a replacement.
#5 Yaya Toure
One of two players on this list to join Manchester City at the start of the decade, Yaya Toure was partly responsible for the footballing revolution experienced by the Etihad in 2010.
Toure was primarily a defensive midfielder before he joined Manchester City, but was unable to play much of a role at Barcelona due to the presence of Sergio Busquets. The Ivorian made the switch to the Premier League in the summer of 2010 for a fee of £24 million.
In Roberto Mancini's setup, Yaya Toure thrived as a box-to-box midfielder. Free from the shackles of being the lone defensive midfielder, Toure's boundless energy and tenacity came to the fore as he used his strength and pace to burst forward with intent, wreaking havoc on the opposition's formation.
The midfielder also had a brilliant eye for goal and his ability to score from anywhere in the attacking third made him a force to reckon with. Toure ended his Manchester City career with an impressive return of 68 Premier League goals in under 8 seasons.
Pep Guardiola's arrival at the club meant that Toure was consigned to the sidelines at the club, and he left for Olympiacos in 2010. The Ivorian spent most of his career playing at the Etihad and a large part of Manchester City's success has been driven by their engine in midfield.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne's prodigious talent was seen in glimpses during his time at Chelsea, and his style of play and technical ability went from strength to strength in the Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg.
Manchester City brought the Belgian to the club in the summer of 2015 for a club-record fee of €75 million. De Bruyne is now famous for the ability to pick out an accurate key pass with amazing consistency, and regularly feeds Manchester City's strikers with perfectly weighted through balls.
Both Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola have relied heavily on the midfielder to make something happen in the final third, and the Belgian usually doesn't disappoint. The 28-year-old has bagged 57 Premier League assists and is still in his fifth season at the club.
De Bruyne also has a penchant for scoring brilliant goals when his team needs them the most. The Belgian has scored 30 goals in the Premier League and is known for drilling his efforts into the top corner from quite a distance.
Chelsea has done some excellent business in the past few years but they missed a trick with the Belgian. De Bruyne is only just entering his prime and his ability to pick out his teammates at will makes him an irreplaceable asset for any side in the world.
#3 Raheem Sterling
It was always evident during his time at Liverpool that Raheem Sterling was a special player, but it took a £44 million move and a great relationship with one of the best coaches in the world to bring the best out of the youngster.
Sterling was making his way through the youth teams at Queen Parks Rangers when he caught Liverpool's eye. As a dynamic and pacy teenager, he forged an excellent partnership with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge as Liverpool came agonizingly close to winning the Premier League title.
A contract dispute in 2015 saw Raheem Sterling move to Manchester City, and the transfer made him the most expensive English player of all time. The young Englishman started well at the Etihad before a groin injury hampered his progress under Pellegrini.
Things took a turn for the better when Pep Guardiola arrived at the club. The new manager was quick to put his faith in Sterling, and the results were nothing short of incredible.
Raheem Sterling has scored 68 goals and provided 61 assists in 168 appearances under Pep Guardiola, and seems more prolific in the attacking third with every passing match. The 25-year-old did have issues with finishing at the start of his career but seems to have fine-tuned his skill set to take his statistical returns to incredible heights.
With Pep Guardiola at his side and a long career ahead of him, Sterling might become one of the few players in world football to exceed his potential.
#2 David Silva
For as long as anyone can remember, David Silva's magic has been a hallmark of Manchester City's game.
David Silva joined Manchester City from Valencia in 2010 and has served the club through all its ups and downs ever since. Fondly nicknamed "Merlin", Silva's typically Spanish style of play adds a touch of flavor and class to Manchester City's imposing lineup.
The Spaniard may not have the largest physiques, but much like his compatriots, he makes up for it with an abundance of other crucial skills. David Silva is one of the best in the Premier League when it comes to passing and ball control, and his ability to create chances and providing key passes in extremely tight spaces sets him apart from other midfielders in England.
Silva's debut season made it clear to one and all why Manchester City had gone to great lengths to sign him. In the 2011 Manchester derby that is known today as the game that kickstarted the seismic shift in power in Manchester, Silva was at his unplayable best, scoring and assisting at will and Manchester United were beaten 6-1.
David Silva also has a glittering silverware cabinet in Manchester and has won two FA Cups, four League Cups, and four Premier League titles since the start of the decade. The playmaker, currently in the twilight of his career, has announced his departure from the Etihad at the end of the season and leaves Manchester City as an established club legend.
#1 Sergio Aguero
The 2010s have been a successful decade for Manchester City, but the year 2012 will stand out as the most special.
The 2011-2012 season was a very eventful one for Sergio Aguero. The Argentine signed for Manchester City from Atletico Madrid for a fee of €40 million and instantly struck a chord with compatriot Carlos Tevez. The two South American strikers formed a vicious partnership and wreaked havoc on the Premier League, giving Manchester City a chance to win their first Premier League in 44 years.
Local rivals Manchester United provided very stiff competition, and a dramatic end to the season was inevitable. With seconds to go on the clock, Sergio Aguero etched his name into Manchester City and Premier League folklore by scoring a decisive winner against QPR. The Premier League hasn't seen anything of the sort ever since, and may never will.
Aguero's legendary title-winning goal is merely the proverbial cherry on an enormous cake. Recently termed irreplaceable by Pep Guardiola, the Argentine has been an epitome of consistency for Manchester City and has played a leading role in establishing the team as one of the best in the world.
In addition to being a part of every single one of the club's trophy victories this decade, Aguero also holds numerous individual records. In the 2018-19 season, Aguero established himself as Manchester City's all-time top-scorer and currently has an astounding 245 goals in 352 appearances for the club.
Aguero is also sixth on the list of all-time top-scorers in the Premier League with 174 goals. When the Argentine is in full flight, no record seems impossible. Aguero has arguably been the best Premier League striker in the decade, and Manchester City has massive boots to fill when his time at the club comes to an end.
Manchester City has come a long way since their loss to Middlesbrough and has found legends of their own along the way. As with most other lists of which he is a part, Sergio Aguero tops this one as well.
