The 2023-24 Premier League season is only a month old, yet there is already talk of Manchester City walking away with the title at a canter. The Citizens are the only top-flight team to have won all five of their opening fixtures, doing so with a squad ravaged by injuries, which spells bad news for the 19 clubs in the chasing pack. With Pep Guaridola’s star-studded squad depleted, is now the perfect opportunity to halt City’s vice-like grip on the Premier League? If so, which team will most likely benefit from any potential City faltering?
Manchester City has dominated English football since becoming Premier League champions in 2011-12. Since then, City has yet to finish lower than fourth in the table and has won the league title seven out of the last 12 campaigns, including the previous three seasons. The most trusted online sportsbooks have City as favorites to become champions again this year despite no English team in history managing to capture four consecutive titles.
A New Look Manchester City Side
Having won the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League in 2022-23, Manchester City are favorite to win every competition they enter this time around. However, the City squad has a different look this time, with the departures of Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, and Cole Palmer weakening the roster. The incoming Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, and Matheus Nunes are adequate replacements. Still, several injuries in the opening weeks of the current campaign have left City thin on the ground in some areas.
Talismanic midfield general Kevin de Bruyne is a long-term absentee, while England internationals Jack Grealish and John Stones are a few weeks away from returning to first-team action. The previously mentioned Kovacic is also in the treatment rule, while Bernardo Silva limped off in the 3-1 midweek victory over Red Star Belgrade. With the transfer window firmly closed until January 1, Guardiola cannot turn to the club’s mega-rich owners and bring in any replacements. The door is open for would-be champions to take advantage of the wounded City animal, but are they capable of mounting a serious title charge?
Arsenal Are The Most Likely To Cause an Upset
Last season, everything pointed toward Arsenal becoming Premier League champions for the first time since “The Invincibles” went unbeaten in 2003-04. The Gunners were perched on top of the table for 30 of the 38-game campaign but faltered and finished five points behind City in the standings. Head coach Mikel Arteta singled out the humbling home and away defeats against Manchester City as one of the main reasons for Arsenal finishing as runners-up.
Arteta went cap in hand to the Arsenal Board and asked for reinforcements. The Board, in turn, backed Arteta to the tune of almost £200 million, sanctioning the signings of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, and David Raya. Each of those incoming players is superior to those already on Arsenal’s books or former players who left the club during the transfer window.
Arsenal has won four and drawn one of its opening five Premier League games, although they have been less than convincing in some of those fixtures. That said, there seems to be a dogged determination to get results, which the team previously lacked. Arteta’s men face their toughest task of the season so far in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur on September 24 before facing off against Manchester City on October 8.
The leading cause for concern among Arsenal supporters is a lack of striking options. Favored number nine Gabriel Jesus missed 17 games last season through injury and has already been out of action for four fixtures during the current campaign. Eddie Nketiah is capable of standing in for the seemingly injury-prone Brazilian, but Arsenal has nobody who is a traditional forward outside those two options.
Liverpool Should Be There or Thereabouts
Until last year, Liverpool has been the team to push Manchester City the closest. Jurgen Klopp’s men finished on 97 points in 2018-19 yet still finished second. They finished second again in 2021-22 but fifth last season following a dreadful start and suffering from inconsistency throughout.
Liverpool’s midfield was often overrun last season, prompting Klopp to run some significant changes to that area of the pitch. Veteran James Milner, perennial struggler Naby Keita, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson were shown the door, and in case some fresh blood in the shape of FIFA World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, Hungary’s Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch.
The Red have won four and drawn one of their opening five fixtures and have shown a never-say-die attitude in some of those games. For example, they were 1-0 down on the road against Newcastle United before losing captain Virgil Van Dijk to a red card. However, they fought tooth and nail throughout, ultimately running out worthy 2-1 winners. Last season’s Liverpool would have lost that game.
Liverpool’s squad lacks the depth of Manchester City and Arsenal to some degree, but Klopp’s Reds should be there or thereabouts come May 19.
Can Tottenham Hotspur Build on a Solid Start?
Tottenham Hotspur has surprised everyone by climbing to second place in the Premier League table with four wins and a draw from five games despite losing Harry Kane, the club’s all-time record goalscorer. New head coach Ange Postecoglu has given Spurs a new lease of life, and they are flying high despite injuries to several of the team’s key personnel. However, the teams Tottenham has defeated are ones you would expect any side hoping to finish in the top half of the table to win, Manchester United aside.
Outside of Arsenal and Liverpool, it is difficult to see who will be serious title contenders in 2023-24. Manchester United is a club in turmoil and is a shadow of its former self, while Newcastle United has struggled to recapture the special form they enjoyed last year.
Brighton and Hove Albion are a great team, but they do not have the squad to compete at the top of the table for a 38-game season. So, to wrap it up, Arsenal is the most likely team to stop Manchester City from winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, but even they will be hard-pushed to prevent Guardiola’s men from rewriting history.
