Manchester City secured a victory over Fulham, with Jérémy Doku contributing to the scoreline alongside a brace from Mateo Kovacic. In the absence of Rodri, City has shown some vulnerability, prompting Pep Guardiola to explore alternative strategies. Kovacic stepped up in Rodri's role, matching his goal tally from the previous season by scoring an equalizer and then adding a second goal for the team. However, the champions appeared more exposed defensively, as evidenced by Andreas Pereira's opening goal for Fulham and Rodrigo Muniz's late strike in the 88th minute. This openness was further highlighted during the second half, where City’s possession play culminated in Josko Gvardiol making a crucial block against Raúl Jiménez’s shot from close range.

James McAtee scored his first goal for Manchester City, helping the team secure a 4-0 victory against Slovan Bratislava. Despite the absence of Rodri, whose presence typically provides stability and control in midfield, Pep Guardiola's side managed to dominate the match and achieve a convincing win in their opening game of the 36-team league phase. To compensate for Rodri's absence, Guardiola opted for Ilkay Gündogan and Matheus Nunes in central midfield. However, City struggled at times to maintain possession, particularly around Slovan Bratislava's penalty area, which left them vulnerable to counterattacks—issues that Rodri usually mitigates with his play. McAtee's goal in the 73rd minute capped off a strong performance from City, marking a significant milestone for the young player as he found the net in club colors for the first time.