CNN
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Since joining Manchester City in 2016, Pep Guardiola has won everything.
There is not much more to achieve for him and his team and the question of whether this is Guardiola’s last season at the club will probably remain throughout the season.
The Spaniard admitted earlier this year that he even had doubts about returning for the club’s record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title last season. After winning the treble the season before, he asked himself: “What am I doing here?”
In the end, the thought of becoming the first team to win four Premier League titles in a row was enough to muster all of Guardiola’s intensity and motivation. But what happened next?
“I don’t know at the moment,” admitted Guardiola, whose contract runs until the end of next season, back in May.
But the fact that they can return to one of the best – if not the best – team in Premier League history after the summer break should help to dispel any doubts.
After questions surrounding the future of captain Kevin de Bruyne and goalkeeper Ederson, the core of the squad remains unchanged. The sale of Julián Álvarez, who was mainly used as a backup to Erling Haaland, to Atlético Madrid is the only notable departure, but one that is unlikely to cause City any major concerns.
The signing of 20-year-old striker Savinho from Troyes for a reported $27.5 million is the only signing City have made so far this transfer window, but news that promising youngster Oscar Bobb has broken his leg looks set to cause another slump in the transfer market.
With a well-rehearsed team that knows how to win and one of the best managers of all time, City – unsurprisingly – go into next season as favourites to win the Premier League.
While Liverpool are set to make a move from Jürgen Klopp – who left Anfield in the summer – to Arne Slot, Arsenal remain the only realistic title contenders.
Mikel Arteta’s side have put a lot of pressure on City over the past two seasons but have so far failed to live up to expectations.
Critics said the near win in the 2022/23 season was a one-off and that the Gunners had performed above average, but last season proved them wrong.
Arsenal not only managed to get back on City’s heels, but also improved and forced Guardiola’s team to improve as well.
As last season showed, the Arsenal side have what it takes to be title contenders and they will certainly not lack motivation after coming agonisingly close to winning their first Premier League title since 2004 last season.
The team has loaned goalkeeper David Raya permanently and signed Italian center-back Riccardo Calafiori, one of the best players at Euro 2024, from Bologna for the relatively modest sum of $49.5 million.
The fact that Arteta is Guardiola’s former assistant coach at City and is considered something of a protégé only makes the battle between these two clubs even more exciting.
Arteta’s desire to get even with his former mentor is so great that he recently adopted an unusual tactic with the team to ensure his players are ready for the upcoming season.
The former Arsenal captain hired pickpockets to steal valuable items from players’ pockets at dinner, but he did not reveal what had happened to the players until after the fact.
The lesson? Apparently you always have to be alert and attentive.
Apart from Arsenal, however, you would be hard-pressed to convince yourself that there is any other title contender out there.
After the separation from Klopp, Liverpool is of course facing a transition phase in which the new coach Slot tries to put his stamp on the team.
Add to that the emotional toll that the departure of a club legend like Klopp takes on players and fans, and Slot undoubtedly has a lot of work ahead of him as he tries to restore the same enthusiasm and belief that characterised the German’s time at the club.
However, the squad remains largely the same and this continuity will no doubt help Slot settle into his new job.
Manchester United have, for some unknown reason, decided to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract after another difficult season. Victory in the FA Cup on the final day seemed to be enough to convince the new owners that the last two disappointing seasons were not real.
The team has also made waves in the transfer market, signing Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, as well as securing the signatures of highly-rated young players Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro.
However, questions have been raised about the reported $68.5 million transfer fee paid for Yoro, a player who had just one year left on his contract with his former club Lille.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s transfer activities are confusing many experts and fans.
The club currently has an incredible 44 players under contract in its bloated first-team squad and despite this huge number, fans are disappointed with the squad the club has assembled.
Mauricio Pochettino was somewhat surprisingly sacked at the end of last season after the team had finished the season well. New manager Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to promotion from the Championship last season, appears to have a tough task ahead of him as he will not only have to select his squad but also develop a certain chemistry between the players.
Aston Villa, who finished fourth last season and qualified for the Champions League, will undoubtedly be a threat to the top four again. However, balancing the Champions League with the Premier League will be a far more difficult task than it was with the Conference League, although Villa’s semi-final run last season proves that this team has the strength to compete on two fronts.
Tottenham Hotspur, who were relegated to fourth place by Villa last season, can certainly expect significant improvements under new coach Ange Postecoglou compared to last season’s change.
The club spent a whopping $71 million on Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke and $45.5 million on promising 18-year-old Archie Gray from Leeds. Now, as Postecoglou enters his second season as manager, expectations are rightly higher than last season.
At the other end of the table, promotion to the Premier League is more daunting than ever for newly promoted teams. Last season, all three promoted teams were immediately relegated as the gap between the Championship and the Premier League widens every year.
Leicester City appear to have built a competitive squad this season, but suffered a double setback in the off-season when both manager Maresca and star player Kiernan Frank Dewsbury-Hall were lost to Chelsea.
Ipswich, who were playing in the English third division two years ago and then won two consecutive promotions, were confident that manager Kieran McKenna would stay at the club next season despite interest from Chelsea and Brighton, eventually signing a new four-year contract.
Southampton are of course favourites to be relegated after reaching the Premier League via the play-off final, but managed to win an impressive 14th The last time this happened was in 2013. Coach Russell Martin has stuck to his possession-based style of football and passing from the defence, which is always a risky tactic for a newly promoted team.
