After claiming a historic treble last season, there is little doubt Manchester City will be the team to beat in England’s Premier League next term.
Pep Guardiola’s side has emerged as a real European force and the Champions League winners will take some stopping to be denied more domestic success next season. However, rivals are looking to bridge the gap and could give the Premier League title holders a run for their money in the next campaign.
Manchester City has been a force to be reckoned with since Guardiola’s arrival at the club back in 2016. However, the club reached new heights last season as it claimed the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League trophies. City, who as of 19th June is priced at odds of -150 with Betway Satta to win the Premier League next season, brought Guardiola to the Etihad Stadium to achieve European glory. After some close misses, the Citizens finally got their hands on the trophy thanks to a 1-0 win in Istanbul against Italian giants Inter Milan.
When it came to the Premier League title race, Arsenal did give City a run for their money until the final few weeks when Guardiola’s side showed their quality. At one stage, the Gunners were eight points clear at the top of the standings but dropping points at the business end of the season saw City leapfrog the North London outfit. Wrapping up the title with three games to spare, as we’ve reported here at The Daily Guardian before, City finished five points clear at the top of the table and now all other sides are wondering how they can catch them next season.
Arsenal was close to prying City’s hands off the Premier League trophy but in the end, Mikel Arteta’s side just came up short. The Gunners responded well after missing out on the top four in a similar fashion in the 2021/22 season and made a blistering start to the last campaign. However, as we’ve covered previously at The Daily Guardian, in the crucial games at the end of the campaign, and with City breathing down their necks, Arsenal stumbled with the finish line in sight.
Draws against Liverpool, Southampton, and West Ham, which we’ve also reported on at The Daily Guardian, before a 4-1 defeat to City, saw Arsenal’s lead evaporate. In the end, the Citizen’s title-winning experience came to the fore.
As Arsenal did when they missed out on the Champions League places in the 2021/22 campaign, the Gunners will be looking for another swift start next season. Returning to the Champions League for next term will give Arsenal a much-needed boost financially and means they can attract some big names, as reported by the BBC, over the summer transfer window. The Gunners will need to find a way to overcome their end-of-season jitters but they are making progress and should challenge for the title next term.
After a poor start to the last Premier League season as covered by ESPN, Liverpool was always one of the teams playing catch-up to the likes of Arsenal and City. However, an 11-match unbeaten run for the Reds was much more like the Liverpool the Premier League has come to expect under manager Jürgen Klopp. That finish to the season should give Liverpool a platform to build on as they look to challenge for the Premier League title next term. The Reds have been City’s main title rivals in recent years and the Merseyside outfit will be working hard on recruitment to help them get back to their best.
As for Manchester United, the Red Devils also enjoyed a strong end to the Premier League campaign, winning all of their last four games. That impressive run helped United claim third place in the table and also helped deny Liverpool a return to the Champions League for next season. Manager Erik ten Hag enjoyed a solid first campaign in England but the Dutch tactician will know his side still have work to do to narrow the cap on their neighbors City.
The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, and United all have ground to make up on City. Guardiola’s task now is to make sure standards remain high at the Etihad Stadium and that the hunger is still there for his side to keep their rivals at bay.