How will the Premier League's Top 5 close the gap on Manchester City?

Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola's expert guidance, romped to the Premier League title with 5 games to play. Manchester City dominated the Premier League from start to finish and ended up breaking a host of records. They became the first team to score 100 points in a season and also finished as champions with the largest points difference, 19 points.

This clearly shows how far they were ahead of the rest of the pack. The traditional giants of English football were unable to challenge the Citizens this season. The other teams have a long way to go before they can challenge Manchester City next season. The teams will need to make numerous changes to their squad to close the gap to the rampant Citizens.

In this article, we take a look at the areas that the Premier League's top 6 need to address for them to pose a challenge to Manchester City-

#1 Manchester United

Leadership decision to make:

Manchester United's captain Michael Carrick has decided to hang up his boots after an immensely successful playing career. Antonio Valencia took over the armband this year in Carrick's absence. Valencia will turn 33 by the start of the next season and though he's adapted well to his position at right-back, that's not his natural position.

If United do sign a quality right-back over the summer, it could see Valencia drop to the bench. Who would take over the armband then? Will it be David de Gea, if he doesn't get snapped by Real Madrid. Or would it be Paul Pogba? Nemanja Matic might be another possible option due to his wealth of experience.

Player to retain

There's no doubt who United's most crucial player is. David de Gea, without doubt, is one of the best goalkeepers in the game. Real Madrid, for good reason, come hunting each summer, to bring the Spaniard back to Madrid. It's therefore critical that de Gea's head doesn't turn due to the United's poor showings this season.

Players to leave

1.Rumors of Anthony Martial's impending departure from the club seem to increase day by day. The French winger who was signed by the club as a 19-year old has seen a decrease in game time after the arrival of Alexis Sanchez at the club. Jose Mourinho has also made no effort to play down these rumors and Tottenham seems a likely destination.

2.Manchester United exercised an option to extend Daley Blind's contract by a year in order to prevent the Netherlands international leaving on a free transfer in the summer. However, with a lack of opportunities at the club, the Dutchman is likely to be on the move this summer.

3.Matteo Darmian has just over a year remaining on his current deal and is keen on a move back to native Italy.

4.Luke Shaw and Jose Mourinho have shared a complicated history, with the manager often questioning the English full-back's work-rate and commitment. With no signs of improvement in their relationship, it's highly likely that Shaw will move to a Premier League club that'll provide him with more opportunities and love.

5.Despite being highly rated by the manager, Marouane Fellaini is yet to put pen to paper on a contract extension that will prevent him from leaving Old Trafford on a free transfer this summer. So, it's highly likely that the Belgian will move to another league at the end of this season, with Europa League runners-up Marseille strong contenders to sign the Belgian.

Positions to strengthen

1.Manchester United finished this season by playing Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young as the full-backs. Though both of them performed extremely well this season, both of them aren't fullbacks by trade and will be 33 by the start of next season. So, reinforcements will be required on both sides of the defense. Danny Rose is a major target for the left-back position.

2.A quality centre-back to play alongside Eric Bailly. The likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Victor Lindelof are good on their day, but not the players whom United would want at the back if they are to challenge their city rivals next season. With Bailly also facing numerous injury issues, it's important that United invest heavily to sign a top-class centre-back this summer. Toby Alderweireld is a strong contender for this spot.

3.More depth in central midfield. Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Ander Herrera are the front-line options with Scott McTominay available as a backup choice. However, United need more from their central midfielders if they are to challenge in the league and in Europe. They'll need some pace and energy from the midfield and for that they'll have to bring in someone this summer.

Tactics

Manchester United and Jose Mourinho have always believed in conflicting ideologies and principles. United's fans love to see their side play the free-flowing attacking football that was seen during Sir Alex Ferguson's era but Mourinho is a pragmatic manager who always favors defensive resilience over attacking flair.

Mourinho prefers a safety-first approach where he forces the midfielders to put in a shift and defend for their lives. This doesn't help attack-minded players like Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford, and Alexis Sanchez. Paul Pogba is also unable to fully express himself in the role that he's made to play in. The Portuguese might have to adapt his strategy a little and find the right balance between defense and offense to let his attacking talents like Pogba, Rashford, Mata, Sanchez, Lukaku come into their own. This is necessary to get the goals flowing in again at Old Trafford.

#2 Tottenham Hotspur

Players to retain:

Tottenham's squad comprises of some of the best young talents in the game and those players have been watched by the heavy-weights of European football.

1.Harry Kane is one of the best forwards in the game at the moment and Real Madrid have him as one of their top targets as a replacement for the misfiring Karim Benzema.

2.Andres Iniesta's move away from Barcelona has left massive shoes to fill at Camp Nou and they might make a strong push for Christian Eriksen's signing.

3.They will also have to ensure Dele Alli, a player who has grown through the ranks at Spurs, doesn't force a move away.

Players to leave:

#1 Danny Rose was rumored to leave the club during the winter transfer window but a move failed to materialize then. However, the left-back is likely to move this transfer window, with Manchester United the likely destination.

#2 Toby Alderweireld has endured a rocky injury-hit campaign and he lost his place in the eleven to new signing Davinson Sanchez. The centre-back is one of the best in the world and a move away from Spurs is on the cards. But Spurs will not let him leave on cheap.

#3 Moussa Dembele has been one of the most consistent players at Spurs over the past few seasons and the French midfielder is likely to snub a contract extension for one that expires next year. Dembele will be 31 by the start of the next season and Spurs will try to sell him at a reasonable price to avoid letting him leave on free in 2019.

#4 Moussa Sissoko's big money move from Newcastle has been an absolute failure. Spurs will have to offload him at a loss, to cut his wage expenses.

Positions to strengthen

1.If Alderweireld leaves, they will need a centre-back as a backup to Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen.

2.With Dembele and Sissoko likely to leave, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama will be the only two central midfielders in the first team squad. Spurs will need reinforcements in this position.

3.Ben Davies has been consistent since taking Rose's position in the squad. But with Rose keen on a move away, a backup left-back is also necessary.

4.The trio of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Heung-Min Son is one of the best-attacking midfield in the world but Spurs have only Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura to come off the bench. Moura is yet to find his feet in England. If Spurs are to harbor genuine ambitions of challenging for trophies, they'll need more quality in the attacking positions to rotate and provide their main men rest.

5.Harry Kane has carried Spurs on his broad shoulders for the past three seasons. Thankfully for the Spurs, he has managed to stay away from long-term injuries. However, he has lacked an attacking partner as Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente have failed to impress. Spurs need another striker to take the burden off Kane and to give him time to rest against weaker teams.

#3 Liverpool

Players to retain:

1.Mohamed Salah's sensational season has put him as a hot contender for the Balon d'Or and his exploits have put him on Real Madrid's radar. Liverpool fans will be fearing a repeat of the move Philippe Coutinho forced to leave for Barcelona. Liverpool will have to do everything possible to keep Salah at the club for next season.

Players to leave

1.Emre Can's contract expires at the end of the season. With a deadlock over a new contract, Can is almost surely on his way out of the club, with Juventus even claiming that a deal is just a few days away.

2.Having fallen behind Loris Karius in the pecking order, Simon Mignolet is likely to move in search of first team football.

3.Daniel Sturridge has sadly failed to replicate the form he showed in the 2013-14 season. He has found himself on the sidelines for most of the time, due to injuries and he's not the type of forward that Jurgen Klopp prefers. A player of his quality needs regular game time when fit, so he might make a move to a team where he could be the target man.

Player signed

A deal to sign Naby Keita was agreed with Red Bull Leipzig last summer and the Guinean midfielder will join his new teammates at the end of the Champions League campaign. Liverpool will have a top-class box-to-box midfielder in their ranks next season.

Positions to strengthen

Liverpool's incredible run in the Champions League has clearly highlighted one major issue. Liverpool need to strengthen their bench strength across all areas of the pitch.

1.If Mignolet leaves the club, Liverpool might look at a backup keeper. If they can find a good keeper on the market, Liverpool will look to sign him to provide competition to Karius.

2.With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out till November, Emre Can departing and Adam Lallana constantly hit by injuries, Liverpool will need to sign central midfielders to add depth to the squad.

3.Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan are decent centre-backs. However, if the Reds need to challenge on all fronts next season, they will need a top class centre-back to partner Virgil van Dijk.

4.Liverpool were unable to rest their devastating front 3 in the Premier League towards the end of the season due to a lack of options. Danny Ings was coming of numerous long-term injury setbacks and doesn't provide the same quality as Salah, Mane and Firmino. If Liverpool manage to sign Nabil Fekir, it will be a massive boost to an already scary attacking side.

Tactics:

Jurgen Klopp's philosophy of gegenpressing make the Reds one of the most exciting teams to watch. The pressing is extremely tiring and it has an impact on the fitness of the players, especially when the squad is as thin as Liverpool's was. We've seen numerous Liverpool players suffering injury issues this campaign and it might be due to the effort they were made to put in training and during the games.

It also requires the midfielders and defenders to be on their game for most of the time as lapses in concentration will make it hard to stop the opposition. Though Liverpool has improved drastically since the signing of van Dijk, Klopp will have to devise a way to keep the opposition's attack at bay.

Liverpool also needs to improve their mentality as they've conceded silly goals at numerous points in the season and that's cost them important points in the Premier League. The number of draws was also a major cause for concern.

Liverpool also has to defend better during set-pieces and when high balls get played into the box and a lot of focus needs to go into this during training.

#4 Chelsea

Leadership decisions to make:

Chelsea's turbulent campaign is likely to see manager Antonio Conte depart the club just a year after winning the Premier League title. If Chelsea decide to sack the Italian, they will have to look for a replacement to provide some stability to the club. Maurizio Sarri, Napoli's manager seems to be the man most likely to step into an uncertain atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Clarity will be needed on the identity of Chelsea's manager next season before a clear picture of the transfer targets can be formulated

Chelsea skipper Gary Cahill is 32 and is not the first choice centre-back anymore in the back three. Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger are the preferred options with Cahill rotating with Andreas Christensen. Chelsea might decide to permanently hand over the armband to Cesar Azpilicueta, who has deputized ably in his absence.

Players to retain:

1.Eden Hazard has endured a frustrating campaign with the players playing alongside him several notches below him in terms of quality. The likes of Alvaro Morata, Pedro have been extremely disappointing and Chelsea failed to boost their attacking options last year and this lack of ambition might see the Belgian leave the club. Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane are long-term admirers of the talents the little man possesses, and a move to Madrid might be the dream move Hazard might be looking for.

2.Willian has been one of the shining lights of a dismal campaign. The season ended with Willian at loggerheads with his manager Conte. The Brazilian is keen on a stay at Chelsea, but if the manager stays, Willian might decide to move away from the club.

Players to leave

1.With Real Madrid making no progress with the David de Gea deal, Thibaut Courtois has emerged as the next best option. The Belgian keeper has made no secret of his desire to return back to Madrid, though he only played for Atletico Madrid. With Courtois' contract expiring next summer, the club will be keen not to lose him on a free transfer.

2.Alvaro Morata has endured a disappointing season after an explosive start in the Premier League. His struggles in front of goal saw him fall behind new signing Olivier Giroud in January. The Spanish striker would like a move back to Juventus after enduring a torrid first season in England following his £70 million arrival.

3.Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley were signed this season and none of them failed to impress in the opportunities afforded to them. Chelsea will have to decide what needs to be done with them.

Positions to strengthen

1.If Courtois leaves the club, Chelsea will need to buy a top-quality keeper to replace him.

2.Chelsea made a huge effort to sign Alex Sandro from Juventus last summer. However, it went in vain as Chelsea were left without a backup left-back option for Marcos Alonso. Chelsea will need a left-back to keep the Spaniard on his toes.

3.Willian and Eden Hazard are the first-choice wingers in the team. Ruben Loftus-Cheek's arrival after his loan spell will help. But Chelsea would be looking to sign another quality winger as Pedro's spell at Chelsea has been a massive disappointment.

4.Chelsea need to address the situation in the centre-forward position as Alvaro Morata has had a huge struggle and he might look to move away from the Premier League. Olivier Giroud has been impressive since signing from Arsenal in January, but he's not the long-term solution. Providing Mitchy Batshuayi regular game-time might be the way to go as the Belgian was extremely impressive during his loan spell at Dortmund.

#5 Arsenal

Leadership decisions to make:

Arsene Wenger, the heart, and soul of Arsenal FC over the past two decades has left the manager's seat after 22 years at the club. Arsenal has done exceedingly well to find a quality replacement in Unai Emery to take over the club.

Club captain Per Mertesacker has retired and moved into a coaching role at the club. Vice-captain Laurent Koscielny has suffered a horrific long-term injury that'll see him sidelined for the most of this year. Unai Emery will have to name a skipper to lead the Gunners revolution.

Players to retain

A horrendous campaign has seen Arsenal's players fall out of favor in the transfer market. Hence there are no major worries over retaining the players in the current squad.

Jack Wilshere's contract is yet to be renewed and he's free to talk to other clubs over a move away from his boyhood club. Jack Wilshere has been sending mixed messages so the club should do everything to tie down one of their longest serving players.

Positions to strengthen

Arsenal will have to make a complete overhaul of their current squad. The squad lacks quality in numerous areas across the pitch. Their defense has been in shambles for years now and the complete back-line might need to be revamped with new players.

1.Arsenal need to sign a new goalkeeper. Petr Cech is 36 now and made a series of mistakes this season and the composure that he displayed at Chelsea is now missing.

2.Laurent Koscielny will be out with a long-term injury. This leaves Shkodran Mustafi, Callum Chambers and Rob Holding as the only options in the middle of the defense. Mustafi had a horrendous campaign in which he made numerous errors. Though he is a good defenders, he's not good enough to be the first choice. Holding and Chambers are not good enough for a side that wants to challenge for the Premier League title. So Arsenal would probably need two good centre-backs.

3.Arsenal have discovered it in the harsh way that Granit Xhaka is not a holding midfielder. Mohamed Elneny, the man who played as the holding midfielder this season is an average player. So the Gunners would need an imposing holding midfielder in the mould of Patrick Viera to shield the defense.

4.Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are quality options in the attack midfield positions. But the Gunners lack a speedy winger capable of changing the game. Someone like Anthony Martial would be an ideal option.

Tactics

Arsenal has often been looked at as a one-dimensional team. Under Wenger, Arsenal played neat, crisp passes to get beyond the defenses. But when they were not allowed to play the way they wanted to, Arsenal went blank due to a lack of Plan B.

Unai Emery is a hard-working manager who concentrates a lot on the opposition while formulating his tactics. So, Arsenal will finally have a manager who will devise a strategy to counter the opposition when things go south. Emery is a manager who is good at organizing his team defensively, something which Wenger seemed incapable of in these last few years.

Another important thing needs to be addressed is the players' mentality. The Arsenal players lack the big-game mentality and most of these players fail to turn up against the big opponents, as they end up surrendering meekly. Arsenal need to perform better against the big sides if they are to challenge for major trophies.

Arsenal had an utterly dismal season away from the Emirates Stadium. They seemed incapable of winning games away from home and were the last of all the sides in the four divisions of English football to register a point away from home in 2018. Their form on their travels needs to be addressed immediately by Unai Emery.