Arsenal and Liverpool expected to push Man City for Premier League title

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The new Premier League season is on the horizon and it’s promising to be another enthralling campaign as England’s elite battle it out to be crowned top dogs. With a league title on the line, clubs are expected to spend records amounts during the summer transfer window as managers look to revamp their squads ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Obviously reigning champions Manchester City are the team everybody has to beat. Pep Guardiola’s side came storming back to chip away at Arsenal’s early lead to clinch the title by five points. At one stage, the Gunners held an eight-point advantage, but City showed their quality and experience to reign-in Mikel Arteta’s side during the business end of the season.

The Premier League title win was the first of three trophies during an unforgettable campaign for the Cityzens. They edged past rivals Manchester United to clinch the FA Cup at Wembley thanks to two superb goals from Ilkay Gundogan. City then made history by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final to win the European Cup for the first time in their history and secure the treble.

Man City are the 8/11 odds-on favourites to retain the title for the fifth time in six years and you wouldn’t bet against them winning it again. However, it’s turning into a difficult summer for Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium as he’s set to lose some experienced players. Gundogan was instrumental in their treble winning team last season as the German scored some vital goals. However, the 32-year-old has left to join Barcelona on a free transfer. Guardiola tried to sign Declan Rice as his replacement but missed out to Arsenal so there is a void needing to be filled in midfield.

Mateo Kovacic has arrived from Chelsea but Guardiola wants another option in the middle of the park, so it will be interesting to see who they go for. Whoever it is, they will face a tall task to fill Gundogan’s boots and Man City are going to miss the German’s presence. Riyad Mahrez is also set to leave after a £30m deal was agreed for him to move to Saudi Arabia. Mahrez wasn’t always a vital first team player for Guardiola but he chipped in with some vital goals and assists, so losing his threat in the final third will be a big blow.

City could also lose Kyle Walker to Bayern Munich. The full-back has reportedly agreed terms with the Germans and is pushing for a move to the Allianz Area. Walker has been vitally important for City over the years and he would be a massive loss. It will certainly be interesting to see how Man City cope if they do end up losing three influential and experienced players this summer, and their rivals will hope we see their level drop this coming season.

Contenders

Arsenal were shock challengers for the title last season. Last summer, most pundits and fans expected the Gunners to be battling to finish fourth. However, they sat top of the table for almost 250 days after putting together a stunning run of form from August to March. They built-up an eight point lead over City and at one point, they were favourites to go on and lift the title for the first time since 2004.

However, a series of untimely injuries to key players derailed their campaign, and Arsenal’s collapsed in April having taken just three points from four games against West Ham, Liverpool, Southampton and Man City. The lack of squad depth ultimately cost Arsenal and Arteta has worked hard to rectify that issue this summer.

The Gunners have already spent over £200m to bring in three players to strengthen throughout their squad. Declan Rice has been the marquee signing after arriving in a British record £105m deal from West Ham. The England international should prove to be a superb addition to Arteta’s squad and will bring a new dimension to the team in the middle of the park with his energy and leadership.

Kai Havertz has also been signed in a £60m deal from Chelsea. The German attacker has played as a false 9 for club and country recently but it appears Arteta is looking to convert him into a deeper midfielder. Havertz is earmarked to replace Granit Xhaka after he joined Bayer Leverkusen this summer, and it will be fascinating to see how the German does in his new role at the Emirates.

William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injuries last season were a turning point in Arsenal’s title charge and they simply couldn’t cope without the two defenders. Arteta has added some much needed depth in defence after splashing around £40m on Jurrien Timber from Ajax. The Dutchman can play right-back or centre-back, so will offer competition in two key areas. With an impressive young squad expected to get even better this season, it’s no wonder Arsenal are the 5/1 second favourites to win the title.

Liverpool back?

Liverpool endured a difficult season last year as they had to settle for a fifth-placed finish, missing out on the Champions League. After spending five years battling it out with City in a two horse race, it was a shock to see Jurgen Klopp’s side struggling so badly at times last season. However, the supporters haven’t lost faith and tickets for Liverpool’s opening games are already sold out as fans anticipate a revival this coming campaign.

Midfield was Liverpool’s achilles heel last year and Klopp is currently overhauling his options in the middle of the park. Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner have all left while Fabinho is edging towards a surprise move to Saudi Arabia. Jordan Henderson is also expected to follow the Brazilian to the Gulf State this summer while doubts remain over Thiago Alcantara’s future at Anfield.

So Liverpool could have an entirely new-look midfield next season and they’ve already splashed out £35m to sign Alexis MacAllister from Brighton. Dominik Szoboszlai has also been signed from RB Leipzig to add some much needed creativity to the ranks. The Reds are expected to sign two replacements for Fabinho and Henderson if they depart, with Romeo Lavia among their prime targets.

Liverpool still have bags of quality throughout their squad so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them back challenging again this year. The Merseysiders are 8/1 third favourites to win the title in 2023/24, and that could look good value if they can sign one or two more quality midfielders.

Manchester United [10/1], Chelsea [12/1] and Newcastle [18/1] are other possible contenders and we could see an extremely competitive Premier League with all the leading clubs expected to spend heavily this summer. However, as it stands, it appears Arsenal and Liverpool are expected to be Man City’s closest rivals….can either of them stop Guardiola from making it four titles in a row?

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