The Premier League last season was enthralling, with the relegation, title, Champions League and Europa League deciders all going into the final day. This was the first time in history that all four competition deciders had gone to the final day. Leeds United managed to stay up after winning away at Brentford, and Burnley were relegated after losing to Newcastle United.
It was even more tense at the top of the table, with Liverpool and Manchester City going toe-to-toe. After going 2-0 down to Aston Villa, Manchester City looked like they were going to blow it. Throughout the game, when Manchester City were trailing, Liverpool found themselves drawing with Wolverhampton Wanderers and would have needed just one goal to win the title.
Liverpool, however, despite scoring two goals at the end of the game, failed to win the league as Manchester City staged a sensational comeback and ended up winning 3-2, securing a consecutive league title.
It’s hard to look past either Liverpool or Manchester City as the main contenders for the Premier League title. However, teams such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal seem to have recruited well this summer. They may be looking to break the monopoly that Man City and Liverpool have had over the top two positions in the league for the last three years. As predicted, these two are the bookmakers’ favourites to finish in the top two positions again this year. But there are other Premier League gambling markets you can find at BestOdds.com.
Despite looking impressive in the opening game and being strong contenders for the top four, Arsenal may not have what it takes to push for the Premier League title this year. They have strengthened and brought in some high-quality players, such as Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, but might be lacking the overall quality of Man City or Liverpool.
The same applies to Chelsea, despite bringing in players such as Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for £47.5m, Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for a fee reported to be in the region of £33m and Marc Cucurella from Brighton for an initial fee of £55m. These players possess the skill and technique to play at the highest level. With Thomas Tuchel as their manager, they could break the monopoly of Liverpool and Manchester City, but many pundits beg to differ and have them finishing third this year.
Chelsea are the most likely team to break into this contention, with a wealth of talent. They also had a spending splurge last summer when they brought in the likes of Romelu Lukaku for £100m, only for him to score eight goals and get sent out on loan back to Inter Milan.
Tottenham Hotspur have also strengthened in key areas, bringing in players like Bissouma from Brighton and Richarlison from Everton. With an experienced manager like Antonio Conte at the helm, it looks like both North London clubs could have a good crack at not only the top four but potentially the top two. It’s unlikely to take place, but after Liverpool dropped points on the opening day to Fulham, this season may indeed have a few surprises.
Liverpool have strengthened by bringing in young superstar Uruguayan forward Darwin Núñez for £64m from Benfica. Likewise, Manchester City brought Erling Haaland for £51.2m from Borussia Dortmund. These strikers are considered two of the brightest prospects in world football and will likely be excellent additions to the Premier League. Both players will strengthen their teams’ claim to getting their hands on the title.
Outside of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, it’s hard to look past any other teams that could break that top two. West Ham had a solid season last year and qualified for Europe. They have since brought in some additions in the summer transfer window and could potentially be a dark horse for the Champions League positions. They’re unlikely to push the bigger teams for the title, though.
Football is a funny game and it constantly surprises us, but the gambling companies that set odds haven’t budged on Liverpool and Manchester City being the two prime contenders for the title this season. You’d be brave to go against the odds makers and the gambling companies’ favourites, but teams like Leicester in 2015 showed that no matter how much analysis you do, there are teams out there that will provide a shock each season. Make no mistake, though, the top candidates to win the Premier League this season, much like the previous two years, are Liverpool and Manchester City.
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