Manchester City vs Wydad AC - Club World Cup: Live score, team news and updates with defending champions off to flyer as two new signings start

I did say Man City didn't look totally secure.

Ambarat tries to feed in Mailula over the top and Reis slips.

Mailula then pulls the ball back to shoot but he now slips, before Ederson makes a point-blank save.

Amrabat whips in a delightful cross from the rebound, but no-one is there to convert.

City are open and while they look neat and tidy in attack, it still is only 1-0!

This is really fascinating seeing how Man City set up here as they attack.

Marmoush, who whistles another long-range effort wide, is in somewhat of a free role, with the Egyptian popping up all over the place.

Elsewhere, left back O'Reilly is inverting and is effectively alongside Reijnders and Foden in central midfield, while Savinho and Doku are getting a lot of joy on the wings behind Cherki.

City do look fresh, although Wydad are posing a bit of a threat on the counter.

There is a good atmosphere too.

A succession of corners for City, with set pieces now the responsibility of new coach James French.

There is definitely a difference in how City are setting up and it almost works as Ake nods Foden's corner just wide.

City look good for their lead here and there is a freshness about them.

A prolonged period of City pressure here after a good start for Guardiola's side.

Mailula then hacks down Marmoush with a nasty and late challenge as City try to recycle the ball from a corner and he picks up the first yellow card of the game.

It's an interesting set up for the Premier League side, with Foden slightly deeper and Cherki ahead of Marmoush.

It will be fascinating to see how this develops across the game.

OH! Wydad are so nearly level.

Lorch is played in down the left hand side but his cross is just out of the reach of a sliding Mailula yards out and City survive.

A sign of the bad habits that Guardiola's side developed last season perhaps...

That's just what Phil Foden would have wanted after a difficult season for the Englishman.

You can watch his goal below...

It's not been a bad response from Wydad who are showing what they are about, with a couple of forays forward.

They think they've got a corner but Amrabat is adjudged offside and City's new-look side will be happy with the first seven minutes.

Just as I type that, City break up the other end and Marmoush fires just wide from Savinho's cut back.

What a start for City!

Jeremy Doku gets in behind and the ball is recycled to Savinho on the right.

He beats his man before his effort is only parried away straight into the danger zone and Phil Foden is there to sweep home for his first goal in 20 games.

That's just what Pep Guardiola ordered and a disastrous start for Wydad.

And we're underway.

Man City get us underway for a first fixture between these clubs.

Here we go...

Just a reminder that there is no Jack Grealish among Man City's Club World Cup squad, with the winger appearing to have no future at the club.

But what has gone wrong?

Former Arsenal, Chelsea and France star Emmanuel Petit has had his say when speaking to talkSPORTBET.

As we go through the new, and slightly bizarre, walk-on style that has been introduced in the Club World Cup, let's recap on Man City's summer transfer business so far.

It's fair to say it's been a busy start for Pep Guardiola and Co.

INS: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves) - £31.8m

Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea) - Undisclosed

Rayan Cherki (Lyon) - £34m

Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan) - £46.3m

OUTS - Jacob Wright (Norwich) - £2.3m

Yan Coutou (Borussia Dortmund) - £25.2m

Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) - Free

Here's what he had to say ahead of kick off

There has been plenty of change among Man City's coaching staff in recent weeks, with Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez, and Carlos Vicens leaving the club at the end of the domestic season.

In their place, former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders, Kolo Toure and James French have arrived.

Our Man City reporter JACK GAUGHAN has all the inside info on the coaching overhaul and the reason for the drastic changes.

Read the full story below...

Wydad are 22-time Moroccan champions who qualified for the Club World Cup by virtue of winning the CAF Champions League in 2022.

Founded in 1937 by seven Moroccans who were campaigning for independence, they are the most decorated team in the country.

Things weren't brilliant in 2024-25 as they finished third, 16 points off chapmions RS Berkane, but they have plenty of pedigree behind them.

Their squad is mainly made up of Morcooan players, but there is also a sprinkling of foreign talent, which includes three Brazilians among their roster.

Some great scenes from fans of Wydad ahead of kick off in Philadelphia...

It's fair to say the 2024-25 campaign was not ideal for Man City, who failed to win the Premier League for the first time in five years.

They were also knocked out early in the EFL Cup and Champions League, while City lost to Crystal Palace in a major upset in the FA Cup final.

Kyle Walker, who was named captain ahead of the season, badly fell out of favour, spending the second half of the campaign on loan at AC Milan before he was omitted from their Club World Cup squad, while vice-captain Kevin De Bruyne is set to join Napoli upon the expiry of his contract.

This all means that Guardiola has had a leadership reshuffle, but which star has taken the armband from Walker?

Read the full story below...

I have to admit, I don't know too much about Wydad who hail from Morocco.

However, Nordin Amrabat, previously of Watford and Hull City - and brother of former Man United star Sofyan - starts in midfield and takes the armband.

It looks like it may be a tough ask for Wydad today, but you never know in what are hot and humid conditions in Philadelphia.

First up, let's start with the team news, with under an hour until kick off at Lincoln Financial Field.

It's a strongish team for Man City who hand debuts to new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, while January arrival Victor Reis also starts.

Elsewhere, Ederson takes the armband and it's a strong bench named by Pep Guardiola with the likes of Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva among the substitutes today.

And welcome to Mail Sport's live coverage of Manchester City vs Wydad AC at the Club World Cup.

Be sure to stay with us throughout the afternoon and evening for all the build up, team news and live coverage from the clash in Philadelphia.