Premier League preview: Manchester City and their quest for the fifth
Ladies and gentlemen, the Premier League is gearing up for another exciting season! The season commences on August 16th, when 20 teams will start with the dream of winning the title. Manchester City enters the season as the defending champion.
Who’s the favorite?
It is nearly impossible to look beyond Manchester City again. Pep Guardiola’s team has been sensational over the past seasons and looks set to continue their dynasty. They have won four titles on the trot and go into the season with their core stayed put.
Their only new signing is the exciting Brazilian Savinho, who played in La Liga side Girona last season. The winger made the most successful dribbles in the league and finished the season with nine goals and ten assists. City has no notable outgoing transfers, although forward Julian Alvarez may move to Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool and Arsenal will look to topple City’s domination. Arsenal was neck and neck with the Citizens last season, just two points behind, and has plenty of motivation to end their Premier League title drought: the Gunners last won the league in 2004.
Arsenal, too, has been quiet in the transfer window. Defender Riccardo Calafiori is the only notable signing, but the 22-year-old Italian adds plenty of steel and glass to manager Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Liverpool will be one of the most interesting top clubs to watch in European football as they must accustom to life without manager Jürgen Klopp. Arne Slot was brought in to replace the German from Dutch side Feyenoord.
Like Klopp, Slot likes his team to press high and convert opposition turnovers into shots. In possession, Slot’s tactics are detailed on positional instructions and creating patterns compared to Klopp’s improvisational approach in the final third.
After losing their first pre-season game against Preston on July 19, Liverpool won all their remaining games, including beating Arsenal, Manchester United, and Spanish side Sevilla. They seem ready to rumble and have a favorable start to the season with four of their first matches against Ipswich Town, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth, who Liverpool is expected to beat comfortably.
It’s interesting to note that Liverpool has not signed anyone. Slot is obviously confident in his squad and sees enough depth to manage on all fronts.
Who’s the dark horse?
Manchester United. Manager Erik ten Hag has received abundant criticism during his spell and needs to improve United to stay at the helm. Last season’s eighth-place finish is miles away from the club’s standards, and while Champions League qualification is the first aim, the second is to contend for the Premier League crown.
The Red Devils got their first taste of this season’s City in Saturday’s Community Shield. United lost 6:7 on penalties but could have won if striker Marcus Rashford would have been firing on all cylinders as the Englishman failed to convert two close-range opportunities.
If Rashford fails to regain his form, the new signing, Joshua Zirkzee, might have a more significant role. The 23-year-old forward joins the English powerhouse from Bologna, but the Dutchman has never been a goal machine in the top leagues. His best league tally is the 16 goals he netted for Anderlecht in 2021/22.
The defense has undergone more significant changes. Leny Yoro, bought from Lille in France, is a modern center-back with pace and technical ability. Center-back Matthijs de Ligt and right-back Noussair Mazraoui have joined from Bayern Munich.
Matchday three will give a good indication of what to expect from United this season. They will host arch-rivals and title contenders Liverpool, and a win at Old Trafford would give United and their fans plenty of self-belief.
Who will be relegated?
Last season, the three clubs relegated—Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United—were promoted in the previous campaign. Experts again believe that the most likely drop candidates this season are the teams coming from the Championship.
Leicester City lost their Championship-winning manager, Enzo Maresca, to Chelsea, with Steve Cooper taking charge of the Foxes. Academy graduate and key player Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also joined Chelsea.
There is also a threat of being deducted points due to an alleged breach of financial regulations. Leicester has appealed against an independent commission’s decision and is awaiting the outcome. Reports suggest the club could be penalized with record points if the sanction is confirmed.
Ipswich Town returns to the Premier League after 22 years. They kept hold of highly regarded manager Kieran McKenna, who was linked with Chelsea, for example. Looking at the London club’s manager dealings over the past few seasons, McKenna might have dodged a bullet.
Ipswich has brought in plenty of new faces and spent nearly 60 million Euros on forwards Omari Hutchinson, Liam Delap, and defender Jacob Greaves. Yet overall, the team lacks Premier League quality, and reinforcements are especially needed in midfield.
Southampton got back into the top flight through the Championship play-offs. The Saints have 15 new signings for this season, but the fanbase has enormous doubts about where the goals will come from and whether the team is up to the task defensively.
