{
  "id": 2470399,
  "title": "Liverpool, Man City face questions in new era without Salah, Guardiola",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/liverpool-man-city-face-questions-in-new-era-without-salah-guardiola",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T01:27:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/08/1516379/liverpool-man-city-face-questions-new-era-without-salah-guardiola"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LONDON: The 2023-24 Premier League season will mark a new era for both Liverpool and Manchester City, as they commence without their iconic stars Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola. For the first time since 2016, Liverpool will launch their campaign without the Egyptian forward Salah, while City will no longer depend on Guardiola's managerial expertise to lead them to glory. Salah made his exit from Liverpool earlier in August, joining Turkish club Trabzonspor, while Guardiola concluded his illustrious tenure at City at the end of last season.\n\nAs the new Premier League season kicks off, City will face Bournemouth in their opening match, with Enzo Maresca taking charge of the team as Guardiola's successor. A few hours later, Liverpool will welcome Andoni Iraola to the dugout, as they travel to Newcastle with Salah missing from the starting lineup. The uncertainty surrounding both City and Liverpool's prospects this season stems not only from the loss of Guardiola and Salah, but also the turbulent circumstances that preceded their emotional farewells in May.\n\nPep Guardiola secured six Premier League titles and City's first Champions League crown during his decade-long tenure at the club. However, the 55-year-old struggled to generate the necessary energy to lead City against Arsenal last term, resulting in a seven-point deficit as Arsenal claimed the title. Guardiola's departure was further complicated by his strained relationship with club director of football Txiki Begiristain, which added to the pressure he felt in rebuilding a squad depleted by the exits of several key players.\n\nSimilarly, Liverpool bid farewell to Salah, who made a significant impact on the club after his £36 million transfer from Roma in 2017. The 34-year-old scored 257 goals in 442 appearances for Liverpool, earning him the third-highest goal tally in the club's history. However, Salah's tenure with Liverpool ended on a sour note, following several dropouts by manager Arne Slot and accusations of being \"thrown under the bus.\" The loss of Salah's leadership and goalscoring prowess presents a significant challenge for Iraola, who will hope that Alexander Isak's improved performance and the contributions of new signings Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha can bridge the void left by the iconic forward.",
  "summary": "LONDON: Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola are two of the most iconic figures in Premier League history – how Liverpool and Manchester City cope without them will define their seasons.",
  "key_points": [
    "Liverpool and Manchester City start new season without Salah and Guardiola",
    "City's Enzo Maresca replaces Guardiola, Liverpool's Andoni Iraola takes over",
    "Guardiola won six Premier League titles, Salah scored 257 goals for Liverpool"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}