Manchester City are 8/11 to win the Premier League title with Betfred. That’s about as short as you are going to get ahead of the season, while their nearest challengers Arsenal are priced at 5/1. All the signs from the bookies point to the Premier League title race being a foregone conclusion before the season has even begun.
Pep Guardiola’s winning machine, the treble winners who have won four of the past five Premier League titles are all set to cruise their way to another success. They’ll become the only English team in the modern era to win four league titles in a row if they manage it, and Guardiola’s reputation as the finest manager of his generation will be enhanced.
But they might not be as nailed-on as the bookies, and many pundits expect. This summer they’ve already lost Riyad Mahrez and more importantly, Ilkay Gundogan, two players who have played big roles in their recent success. Mahrez may not have been the biggest name on the teamsheet but on several occasions, Gundogan bailed them out when they were in trouble. Who can forget the final day in 2022, when he scored twice to complete a turnaround against Aston Villa? Or the FA Cup final this year, when he scored twice against Manchester City to secure part two of the treble?
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So often, he has been their key man in decisive moments and his absence is sure to be felt by the entire club. He’s a leader, and for City to lose their captain will impact the balance and harmony of the squad. They’ve brought in Mateo Kovacic as his replacement but the Croatian, although a talented dribbler, may not produce in clutch moments as his German predecessor did so regularly.
At the back, City are still at risk of losing Kyle Walker, with Bayern Munich circling. If he goes, despite not starting the Champions League final success, it will be another big loss for Guardiola. The Citizens are so dominant in possession that they are sometimes susceptible to pacy counter-attacks, and often rely on Walker’s pace to get them out of tricky situations. His experience is also key, and it feels as though City have lost several big personalities of that treble-winning squad.
Joško Gvardiol has joined to strengthen their backline, but it still feels as though they may not hit the heights they did last season. And that’s a concern when you consider the rapid progress that other teams in the league have made. Arsenal came closest last term and have gone big in this window, recruiting Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. Mikel Arteta’s men are keen to build on the momentum they created last term and the signing of Rice in particular will strengthen them for years to come.
Chelsea are also back in business with no European football to contend with, Mauricio Pochettino in charge and more of a plan in this window than the last. Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku look like impressive additions and with Levi Colwill emerging as a precocious defensive talent, they could challenge this season.
Liverpool have experienced a midfield revolution, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining and Jordan Henderson and Fabinho departing for Saudi Arabia. They’ll hope to start this season as they finished last, and go close to the title after a season of disappointment. Meanwhile, Manchester United are back in business under Erik Ten Hag and can build on their top four finish, especially now they have a number nine in Rasmus Hojlund in the building.
It feels as though this has been a summer where the rest of the pack have made moves to catch the runaway leaders. The treble winners won the league by just five points last term, but that did include them playing a second team in the final two games as they prepared for the cup finals.
Now the hunting pack have closed the gap and it feels like finally we could get a three or four way Premier League title race to savour. Or, Guardiola’s team will just win 16 games in a row from November to March and romp their way to a fourth consecutive title. Like they always do.
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