Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Italian goalkeeper who recently joined Manchester City, remains on a high after the club’s dramatic Manchester Derby win. While the winning goal from Erling Haaland sparked debate and Phil Foden’s red card still irked many, Donnarumma’s focus was on the collective resilience his teammates displayed. "This is who we are. This is our team.
This is City," he told Sky Sports, emphasizing the unity and determination that carried the side to victory despite being a man down and facing several adverse moments during the match. "I loved my teammates' performance, it was sublime. The ability to stay in the game and react to difficult situations – no one can take that away from us." He added that wearing the City shirt is a privilege that comes with a responsibility to give back to a club with a storied history and a massive, passionate fan base.
"We will give everything for this shirt, for this club that gives us so much and offers us so much great support. It has a great history, and we need to give a lot back to it," he said. City entered the international break with an almost perfect record, a rare achievement given the departure of key figures from Pep Guardiola’s era such as Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri.
The squad has shown moments of brilliance, but Donnarumma admits there is still room for improvement. The club’s leadership has framed the season not as a period of transition but as a continuation of the ambition to win every competition they enter. "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." He stressed that the mental approach is what matters most: "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." Donnarumma has been appointed to a newly‑formed leadership group that replaces the departing veterans. Alongside Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and defender Marc Guehi, he forms a quartet of players who have already lifted trophies both at City and elsewhere.
Their shared experience is intended to guide the younger arrivals – Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Iliman Ndiaye – as they settle into a club that, according to Donnarumma, is no longer in a rebuilding phase but is instead aiming for immediate success. "We've changed a few players. A few new ones have arrived," he said. "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 objectives are crystal clear: compete for the Premier League title, the Champions League, and both domestic cups. Donnarumma warned that nothing is guaranteed and that other clubs, particularly Arsenal, pose a serious challenge. Mikel Arteta’s side also began the campaign with four consecutive league wins and have the psychological edge of having edged City out for the Premier League trophy last May, a disappointment captured in the recent Guardiola documentary where City players, including Donnarumma, expressed their frustration after a slip‑up at Bournemouth that handed the title to the Gunners. Reflecting on that setback, Donnarumma said, "It's difficult, but that's football, that's life.
You're not on your own. 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 underlined the importance of approaching every match with the intention to win: "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." When asked whether City and Arsenal will be the duelling forces at the top of the table in May, Donnarumma was cautious: "I don't know. We're only four games into the season." Nevertheless, he believes the foundation has been laid.
"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. The message from the Manchester City camp is unmistakable: the club is not in a transitional lull but is gearing up for a campaign that could add more silverware to its already impressive cabinet.
With a blend of seasoned leaders, fresh talent eager to prove themselves, and a collective resolve to honor the club's legacy, City aims to turn its early season momentum into a trophy‑laden finish. Fans can catch the next match as City travel to Sunderland in a Premier League fixture broadcast on Sky Sports' Super Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 2 pm. The club also invites supporters to engage with its content across social platforms, including a WhatsApp channel for the latest news, videos, analysis and more.