The club played in the UEFA Champions League for the third time and only the second since the competition was rebranded in 1992, and were drawn in a group with Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Ajax.

On 14 April 2013, Manchester City defeated holders Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and reached the final where they would face relegated Wigan Athletic.

The final was played on 11 May, where City suffered a shock 1–0 defeat at the hands of the Latics due to a late goal from Ben Watson.

On 13 May 2013, two days after the FA Cup final defeat, Roberto Mancini was sacked from his role as manager after a three-and-a-half-year tenure, with Manchester City stating that he had "failed to achieve any of the club's targets, with the exception of qualification for next season's Champions League".

Awarded to the player that receives the most votes in a poll conducted each month on the official website of Manchester City.