Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Italian shot‑stopper for Manchester City, was still riding the high of the recent Manchester Derby win when he spoke to Sky Sports at the club's training complex. While the dramatic late winner from Erling Haaland sparked endless debate, Donnarumma chose to focus on a different narrative: the collective resilience of his side. He recalled how City, reduced to ten men and under sustained pressure, managed to hold their nerve and secure a victory that underlined their character.
"I loved my teammates' performance; it was sublime," Donnarumma said, emphasizing the squad's ability to stay composed and respond to adversity. "The capacity to stay in the game and to react to difficult moments – no one can take that away from us." He went on to stress the deep sense of duty he feels wearing the sky‑blue shirt.
"We will give everything for this shirt, for this club that gives us so much and offers us such great support. It has a rich history, and we need to give a lot back to it," he added. City entered the international break with an unbeaten record, a rare feat given the recent departures of long‑term stalwarts Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri – players who had been central to Pep Guardiola's dominant era.
Despite a flawless start to the Enzo Maresca era, Donnanuma admitted the team still has areas to improve. He dismissed the term "transition" as a misnomer, insisting the club's sole objective remains winning every trophy on offer.
"I don't really like the word 'transition,'" he explained. "The club's objective is to win. This team's objective is to win.
We'll certainly give everything we can to achieve that." The goalkeeper highlighted the importance of a winning mentality, whether the season ends with silverware or not. "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," he said. Donnarumma is now part of a newly‑formed leadership group that replaces the departed veterans.
Alongside Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Marc Guehi, he forms a quartet of experienced winners who have lifted trophies both at City and elsewhere. Their shared experience is intended to guide younger arrivals such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Iliman Ndiaye, who are expected to make an immediate impact in what the club describes as a non‑transition season. "We've changed a few players. A few new ones have arrived," Donnarumma noted.
"They're all top players who are used to playing on the biggest stages, dealing with certain situations, and playing in the Premier League. It’s not easy at the beginning when you move to a new club, a new organisation, a new city. But they're adapting well, and we're making them feel comfortable.
The players who were already here are helping them a lot. I think we're going to have a great season." The ambition, according to the goalkeeper, is to compete on all fronts – the Premier League, the Champions League and both domestic cups. City’s warning to rivals is clear: the squad believes nothing is off‑limits when the collective will is strong. One of the main obstacles in the title race, however, is Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta's side also began the campaign with five consecutive wins and have the psychological edge of having edged City out for the Premier League title in the previous season’s dramatic finale. The recent Guardiola documentary captured the disappointment of City players after a slip‑up at Bournemouth that handed the Gunners the crown, a moment that still resonates with Donnarumma, who had collected five straight league titles before that loss. "It's difficult, but that's football, that's life. You're not on your own," he reflected on that setback.
"There are other strong teams, especially in the Premier League. It's not that if you don't win there isn't disappointment – of course there is – but it can happen because there are other teams as well, just like in the Champions League." He underscored the need to approach each match with a win‑or‑lose mentality. "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.
You have to compete, you have to work, and you have to do everything possible because the history of this club demands it," Donnarumma asserted. When asked whether City and Arsenal will once again dominate the top of the table in May, the Italian keeper was cautious. "I don't know.
We're only four games into the season," he admitted, reminding everyone that early season form does not guarantee final outcomes. His focus, however, remains crystal clear: relentless effort and consistency. "Our focus right now has to be on working and trying to win every game. That has to be our objective.
Whether we achieve it in the end or not, only time will tell," he concluded. Fans can catch City’s upcoming fixtures, starting with the Carabao Cup third‑round clash against Norwich City on Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by a Premier League showdown with Sunderland on Super Sunday, kickoff at 2 p.m. These matches will provide further evidence of whether the squad’s leadership and renewed mindset can translate into the silverware they so ardently desire.