Manchester City are bidding for an unprecedented fifth Premier League title this season. The champions lifted the title after finishing with 91 points in the 2023/24 campaign.
Here is a look at who the biggest challengers are likely to be Pep Guardiola’s side this season.
Arsenal
After finishing second to Manchester City last season, Arsenal will be desperate to go one place better in the new campaign. The Gunners are just behind in the Premier League title odds at +175. The bookmakers rate Mikel Arteta’s team as the leading challenger to end City’s grip on the title.
Arteta will be encouraged by what he has seen from his team during pre-season. They have had wins over Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth. Those victories have ensured the Gunners are one of the leading Premier League betting tips this season.
Arsenal’s number-one goalkeeper David Raya signed permanently from Brentford over the summer following a successful loan spell. The North London club had the best defensive record in the Premier League last season, conceding just 29 goals from their 38 matches.
If they can produce something similar again, they are likely to be in contention for the title in the final stretch of the campaign.
Liverpool
A new era begins at Liverpool this season, as it will be the first since the 2014/15 campaign that Jurgen Klopp has not been in charge. The German left the Merseyside club during the summer, and he has been replaced by Arne Slot.
The new Liverpool manager has a reputation for being one of the best coaches in Europe. He led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 2023, while in 2024 he won the KNVB Cup with the Dutch club.
Only Manchester City lost fewer games than Liverpool in the 2023/24 campaign. The Merseyside-based side finished third, which was enough to see them qualify back into the Champions League. Slot’s job will be to build upon that campaign and ensure the Reds challenge City for the title this season.
Aston Villa
One of the surprise packages of last season in the Premier League was Aston Villa. Under the hands of manager Unai Emery, the Midlands club finished fourth in the standings at the end of the campaign, ahead of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
Emery will now be plotting more success, and if he can find further improvement in his squad, the Villains could challenge for the Premier League title. They have not won a league championship in England since 1981.
Villa has had a busy summer in the transfer window. Experienced midfielder Ross Barkley is one of the players who has joined from Luton Town. The former Chelsea and Everton player impressed Emery last season, and he adds competition for places in the Spaniard’s starting XI.
The 2024/25 Premier League campaign concludes on the 25th of May. It will be the 33rd season of the Premier League era and it will include Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton, the three clubs promoted from the Championship.
