Before Guardiola, two managers ignited the Abu Dhabi revolution and made Manchester City a Premier League force. Roberto Mancini brought the first league title in 44 years. Manuel Pellegrini followed with another, and a 151-goal record season. These were the years City announced themselves to the world.
Roberto Mancini was appointed Manchester City manager on December 19, 2009, replacing the sacked Mark Hughes. The Italian arrived with a pedigree of three consecutive Serie A titles at Inter Milan, and an immediate impact — City went on a four-game winning run from his first match. What followed were three and a half years that transformed Manchester City from a restless, cash-rich club still finding its feet into genuine champions.
Mancini was demanding, tactical, and occasionally abrasive — but he knew how to build winning teams. He instilled defensive discipline, managed enormous egos and expensive egos with authority, and crucially delivered two of the most significant results in the club's modern history.
| Games | 164 |
| Won | 93 |
| Win % | 56.7% |
FA Cup 2010–11 — First Major Trophy in 35 Years
City beat Stoke City 1–0 in the FA Cup final on May 14, 2011 — a Yaya Touré goal the difference. It was the club's first major trophy since the League Cup in 1976, a moment of enormous emotional significance for supporters who had waited through the wilderness years. The roar from Wembley when the final whistle went told its own story. Vincent Kompany lifted the cup. A new era had truly begun.
The most iconic moment in Premier League history. Ninety-three minutes and twenty seconds. City need to beat QPR to clinch the title on goal difference from Manchester United. Going into injury time, City trail 1–2. Their 44-year wait for a league title seemed to be extending into heartbreak. Edin Džeko equalised. Then in the final seconds of the game, Mario Balotelli played a short pass to Sergio Agüero on the edge of the box. He turned past a defender and — with no time left — drove the ball into the net. The roar. The commentator. The pitch invasion. The tears.
"City 3–2 QPR. Manchester City are champions of England." Roberto Mancini fell to his knees. Vincent Kompany wept. A city of blue exploded. It remains, arguably, the greatest moment in Manchester City's history — and one of the greatest in English football.
Signed in 2011, he immediately became one of the world's best strikers. His QPR goal is immortal. A lethal finisher from every angle.
Box-to-box midfielder of extraordinary power and technique. Won the FA Cup with a goal in the final. A dominant force in midfield for years.
Already established as one of the world's best, Silva's creativity was the engine of Mancini's attack. Assisted, created, and scored throughout.
The defensive anchor. Made captain under Mancini in 2011, his leadership transformed the backline into one of England's meanest.
Warrior at right-back. Consistent, relentless, beloved. A classic Mancini signing who embodied the spirit of the era.
Controversial but brilliant in spells. His goals in 2010–11 were critical to the FA Cup run. A complex personality but undeniable quality.
The End of Mancini — Two days after City's shock 1–0 FA Cup final defeat to Wigan Athletic (May 11, 2013), Roberto Mancini was sacked. Despite delivering the greatest prize in the club's recent history, the relationship had deteriorated. Falling short of United in the 2012–13 title race and the Wigan result sealed his fate. He departed with his legacy firmly intact — the man who delivered the miracle of 2012 will never be forgotten by City supporters.
Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean engineer-turned-football-manager, arrived from Málaga in June 2013 on a three-year contract. He brought a calmer demeanour than his predecessor, a deep tactical intelligence, and an immediate willingness to play attractive, high-scoring football. His three seasons at City each told a different story — the brilliant, the satisfying, and the transitional.
Pellegrini became the first manager from outside Europe to win the Premier League, and his City side set an English record of 151 goals across all competitions in his debut season. He was underrated during his time, but his legacy is secure: two League Cups, a Premier League title, and a Champions League semi-final.
| Games | 161 |
| Won | 101 |
| Win % | 62.7% |
2013–14 — The Premier League and League Cup Double
Pellegrini's debut season was spectacular. City scored an English record 151 goals across all competitions. Yaya Touré delivered one of the great midfield seasons in Premier League history — 20 goals (a record for a midfielder). Agüero was devastating. The title was sealed on the final day against West Ham — with David Silva scoring. The League Cup was won 3–1 against Sunderland. City finished with 86 points and became the highest scoring side the Premier League had ever seen at that point.
2014–15 — Runners Up, José Mourinho's Chelsea Too Strong
The title defence fell short. Chelsea, under a masterful Mourinho, were too consistent. City finished second with 79 points — respectable, but the gap was clear. The Champions League brought a round of 16 exit to Barcelona. However, the foundations for the following season's CL run were being laid.
Pellegrini's final season delivered City's first ever Champions League semi-final. Despite finishing fourth in the Premier League with 66 points (a disappointing league campaign), the European run captivated supporters. City beat PSG in the quarter-finals and faced Real Madrid in the last four — ultimately losing over two legs. It was a landmark moment for the club's European standing.
The League Cup was secured again in February 2016 — a 3–1 win over Liverpool at Wembley with goals from Agüero (2) and Fernandinho, a comfortable, authoritative cup final victory that showed City's quality on the domestic front.
Reached his peak under Pellegrini. 20 league goals in 2013–14 from midfield — a record that stood for years. He was the engine of the title-winning team.
Produced his finest goalscoring season — 26 PL goals in 2014–15. Scored five in a single game against Newcastle. Surgical in his finishing throughout the era.
The creative heartbeat across all three seasons. More clinical under Pellegrini's attacking system. Consistently brilliant in whatever role was asked of him.
Still the defensive leader. Won his second Premier League title under Pellegrini. Injury began to interrupt his seasons from 2014 onwards but his quality was undeniable.
England's first-choice goalkeeper and City's shot-stopper throughout the era. Brave, shot-stopping excellence — though Guardiola's arrival would signal the end of his City career.
Arrived in 2013 and immediately became an essential defensive midfielder. A Pellegrini signing who outlasted his manager to become one of City's greatest servants.
Pellegrini's Legacy — Manuel Pellegrini's tenure is sometimes overshadowed by what came before (the historic QPR match) and after (the Pep revolution), but his three seasons were genuinely impressive. A Premier League title, two League Cups, and City's first Champions League semi-final placed him among the club's most successful managers. On February 1, 2016, with one game still to play, City announced that Pep Guardiola would be taking over for the 2016–17 season. Pellegrini left with dignity. His win percentage (62.7%) remained among the best in Premier League history for a City manager. The underrated Chilean left the club in far better shape than he found it.
Sheikh Mansour's takeover in September 2008 set the stage. Mark Hughes, then Mancini, then Pellegrini each took the club a step further. Mancini delivered the dream — ending 44 years of hurt with the most dramatic title in history. Pellegrini consolidated and expanded, winning two more trophies and breaking into Europe at the highest level. By the time Guardiola arrived in 2016, he inherited not a project but an established top-four club with a world-class squad. The Pre-Pep era was not a prelude — it was a foundation.