Manchester City are not in a transition year, Gianluigi Donnarumma has insisted, as the goalkeeper backed the club to compete for every major honour this season.
City have made a perfect start despite losing key figures from their successful era, including Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri. Their latest victory, the Manchester derby, was particularly significant for Donnarumma after his side overcame difficult circumstances to secure the points.
“I loved my team-mates’ performance, it was sublime,” Donnarumma said. “The capacity to stay in the game and to react to difficult moments – no one can take that away from us.”
He was less concerned with the controversy surrounding Erling Haaland’s winning goal, although he felt Phil Foden’s earlier dismissal had been harsh. For Donnarumma, the most important feature of the derby was the resilience shown by City after being reduced to 10 men.
“This is who we are. This is our team. This is City,” he said.
The Italian goalkeeper, who is part of a new leadership group alongside Ruben Dias, Haaland and Marc Guehi, rejected the idea that City should use the campaign to rebuild without immediate expectations.
“I don’t really like the word ‘transition,’” Donnarumma said. “The club’s objective is to win. This team’s objective is to win. We’ll certainly give everything we can to achieve that.”
He added: “We could reach the end of the season having won something, or having won nothing. But what’s important is having a winning mentality, going out there and trying to win everything we possibly can.”
Several new players, including Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Ilimian Ndiaye, are settling into the squad. Donnarumma said the established players had a responsibility to help them adapt to a new club, organisation and city.
“They’re all top players who are used to playing on the biggest stages, dealing with certain situations, and playing in the Premier League,” he said. “They’re adapting well, and we’re making them feel comfortable.”
City’s ambitions extend beyond retaining the Premier League title, with the Champions League and both domestic cups also targets. Donnarumma believes the club’s standards require the players to compete for everything available.
Arsenal are expected to provide a major challenge after also making a strong start and edging City to the title last season. Donnarumma, who had won the league in each of the previous five seasons before that disappointment, said setbacks were part of football.
“It’s important to go into every game trying to win it. Certainly, our objective will be to win, but there are other teams too,” he said. “You have to compete, you have to work, and you have to do everything possible because the history of this club demands it.”
Asked whether City and Arsenal would again be competing at the top in May, Donnarumma said it was too early to know. His immediate priority, he added, was to focus on winning each match and allow time to determine whether the club’s objectives had been achieved.
