SUMMARY
- Manchester City faces stiff competition from Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
- Despite challenges, Manchester City's key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, provide an advantage.
Manchester City has become the dominant force in English soccer over the past decade. Pep Guardiola has been the mastermind of the English club’s rise both globally, and in England. His teams have been playing some extraordinary soccer almost a league above their rivals’.
A global soccer powerhouse, Manchester City has won 7 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, and one 1 UEFA Champions League since their takeover in 2008.
Champions of Europe, you made us sing that! 🫶#ManCity | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/2CevTDN3UT
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 10, 2023
Manchester City’s Premier League titles have been mostly very comprehensive, with ‘The Cityzens’ winning by a huge margin. However, it seems Pep Guardiola’s 6th Premier League title won’t be an easy matter for his team.
Manchester City faces tough competition from Arsenal and Liverpool
The two teams pose serious threats to the team from the blue side of Manchester. ‘The Cityzens’ also struggled for quite some time in the Premier League which has profited both Liverpool and Arsenal.
Manchester City’s prime opponent in the league in the 23/24 season is Liverpool. ‘The Reds’ had invested brilliantly into their squad before the 23/24 season which is paying dividends now. The 19-time Premier League winners got rid of all the deadwood from the club and introduced some fresh blood in the squad.
New signings like Dominik Szoboslzai, Allexis Mac Allister, and Wataru Endo have adjusted to life in England quite well and are fan favorites. The players are also particularly very eager to give their departing coach Jurgen Klopp a decent farewell.
This has resulted in Liverpool maintaining a consistent lead over their rivals. At the end of matchday 28 Liverpool are one point clear at the top of the table.
Hitting six on the road 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FCZ5PRj0rC
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 4, 2024
However, Arsenal have shown their resurgence in 2024. Arsenal has scored 31 goals in the Premier League in the first three months of the new year averaging around 4.5 goals per match. Declan Rice and William Saliba have been protecting their defense well while Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have shone with their attacking flare.
‘The Gunners’ are third in the Premier League title race with 61 points in the opening 27 games of the season. However, despite their exploits, Manchester City is the favorite to become champions of England in the 23/34 season.
Manchester City holds the trump card against the two teams
The blue side of Manchester has however become masters in soccer operations in England. Apart from their heavy investments since the Emirati takeover in 2008, the new entourage has introduced a winning mentality inside the club. ‘The Cityzens’ have developed tough skin and have grown a never-give-up attitude. It is their elite mentality that might prove decisive for the club.
Their investments have started working their magic now. Jeremy Doku has been a revelation down the flanks and Phil Foden has rediscovered his form. The defense has been steady as John Stones, Manuel Akanji and co. have stood tall like a wall.
The team has also been helped by the returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. The two had been out of the team for a very long time, and this was when the team started struggling a bit.
However, the duo has been unstoppable since their return, combining for a huge chunk of Manchester City’s goals in recent times. Kevin De Brune and Erling Haaland were a menace on the pitch when they provided for 5 goals and 4 assists in the 6-2 win of CIty over Luton Town in the FA Cup.
Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne are running riot for Manchester City 🤯#BBCFootball #FACup #LUTMCI pic.twitter.com/gkQGvUBW8W
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 27, 2024
Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne are part of Manchester City’s huge ensemble of superstars .‘The Cityzens’ has a plethora of match-winners who can all become pretty handy for the team. Some of the players that sit on the bench of City can easily become integral players for any other Premier League team.
‘The Cityzens’ could easily pay equal attention to both UCL and Premier League due to the number of superstars it has. City has 2-3 world-class players for each position and this is something which even elite teams like Liverpool and Arsenal lack.
One pretty bad injury crisis could easily end either Liverpool or Arsenal’s title ambitions for good. The teams become extra vulnerable to an injury crisis as the season passes by. This was pretty evident when a series of Liverpool players got injured in February 2024.
Manchester City showed in the treble-winning season of 22/23 that it is the team with the heaviest squad depths that can achieve both domestic as well as continental success. The treble win was the culmination of a team filled with players who were the best in their respective positions.
It seems ‘The Cityzens’ have both destiny and history on their side. If Manchester City can continue its form in the beginning of 2024, then the Premier League title might become a matter of weeks for the serial title winners.