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It is always difficult to win consecutive Premier League titles, but you would not put that past this Manchester City Squad. With the generational talent of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Sergio Aguero with the addition of Riyad Mahrez along with the ever-improving Leroy Sane and all the other superstars, this Manchester City squad looks devilish.
Manchester City finished last season with 100 points, which is 19 points ahead of the team that finished second (Manchester United). To put that into perspective, Manchester City could have lost 6 more games to any team aside Manchester United and would have still won the Premier League. With that in mind, the question comes down to which team can compete with this Manchester City Squad?
The usual answer to this question would be Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal but I'm diving deeper into these five teams to really see which one of them actually stand a chance to win the title.
I would have mentioned Leicester City but then I would have to mention all the other 19 teams because if there is anything we have learned from the Premier League, it is predictably unpredictable. With that in mind, I have listed the 5 teams in order of ability to compete with Manchester City and therefore win the title.
#1 Liverpool
Adding Fabinho gives them a defensive midfielder who can also slot in at right-back if needed. Fekir is said to be headed to Liverpool and Naby Keita is said to be settling in perfectly in that Liverpool midfield.
With Shaqiri coming on from the bench, this Liverpool team has added depth.The team which I think stands the best chance, is Liverpool. History is against them and the running joke is that every "next year is their year". Having said that, this Liverpool squad have added on all fronts. They have improved their keeper by signing Allison as a replacement for Karius and/or Mignolet.
Mane, Salah, and Firmino are a lethal combination up front. While it will be interesting to see if Salah can recreate the form he had last season, all in all this Liverpool squad has improved. It might be too early to tell if they will compete for the title but I would put them 2nd in the running after Manchester City.
#2 Chelsea
2014/15 EPL winners, Chelsea would be second on this list. While Chelsea had a torrid time last season, they did end up winning the FA Cup. If you look at Chelsea's record over the past 4 seasons -
2015/16 - 10th
2016/17 - EPL winners
2017/18 - 5th.
If they follow this trend, they should be competing for the title. But putting the past aside, I really think they have a chance, provided they are able to keep hold of Eden Hazard. The midfielder trio of Kante, Jorginho, and Fabregas with Barkley and Robin Loftus-Cheek is arguably better than the Manchester City midfield. While they will take time to integrate in the way Sarri plays, even in the first preseason game, you could see signs of what is to come.
The defense will take time to adjust again to the back four but Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, and Alonso look solid. Courtois is still an issue for Chelsea right now. Hudson-Odoi looks promising for Chelsea, but all in all, it comes down to Eden Hazard. In my opinion, Eden Hazard is the best player in the Premier League and he is that one player that makes Chelsea 'great'.
If the Sarri system clicks and the players that need to stay at Chelsea stay, then I believe Chelsea will be a force to reckon with and will definitely compete along with Manchester City for the title.
#3 Manchester United
Pogba will be looking to make an impression after his successful World Cup campaign if Jose Mourinho deploys him correctly. Rashford, Lingard, Lukaku are all talented players but I still think they are not on the same level as a Kevin De Bruyne or Eden Hazard in their ability to impact a game. It will be very interesting to see if Alexis Sanchez can recreate his Arsenal form or will he be the shadow of himself which he was last season.
If past trends are indicative of anything, a third Jose Mourinho season is said to be disastrous. Having said that, I do not believe that Manchester United will have a terrible season but at the same time I do not see them winning the title.
Adding Fred and Diego Dalot definitely improves the team. Jose Mourinho has said that he is looking to make 2 more signings and my opinion might change after they are made but until then, I don't see Manchester United winning the title.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham is a good team but they simply haven't made any transfers. The positive would be they have still kept all their stars but I do not know if that is enough to compete for a title. Lucus Moura, Son, Dembele, Vertonghen all are good players but these good players finished at third last season with 77 points, while City had 100.
I rank Eriksen very highly and believe he is one of the three best playmakers in the Premier League. Dele Alli had a disappointing World Cup but he is a talented player and everyone knows how good Harry Kane can get.
There is a possibility all these players will take their game to the next level and Tottenham will win the Premier League but, as of now, I don't see that happening.
#5 Arsenal
Arsenal have been very active and seem to have had a good transfer season. Lucas Torreira adds the defensive cover in midfield which often Arsenal teams lack. Bernd Leno is a good shot stopper and will benefit Arsenal tremendously. Sokratis strengthens the defense and Matteo Guendouzi adds another body in midfield.
Honestly, forming this list is extremely hard as you really do not know what to expect from so many teams. One of them is Arsenal. When Alex Ferguson left Manchester United, the transition phase was hard for United and they struggled for consistency and some might say they still are. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal go through the same issue.
It will be strange to see Arsenal under a new manager, but it could end up benefitting Arsenal. Unai Emery will be looking to make an impact and I consider Arsenal the dark horses of this season. I would have put them higher in this list, but simply for the reason that it is very difficult to make an instant impact in the Premier League, they are where they are.
