The Premier League has lacked true competition for years; Manchester City has conquered world soccer for almost a decade and the other 19 teams in the Premier League can only sit and watch. They have won the last three Premier League titles without any true competition. In recent years, Arsenal and Liverpool have tried to take down the Citizens but their efforts were often cut short (not counting 2019-2020 when Liverpool won the league). Abu Dhabi’s acquisition of Manchester City in 2009 has turned out to be a great success; the blue side of Manchester was never a super team before this purchase and for years the club had to witness their cross-town rivals Manchester United dominate England. Now, Manchester City has undoubtedly changed the narrative around Manchester as they sit high on the top of the mountain with Manchester United seemingly falling farther down.
Heading into the 2023/24 season, Manchester City was fresh off their first-ever treble (Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup) winning season; the only English team to achieve this since Manchester United in 1999. Manchester City head coash Pep Guardiola emphasized his desire for more success as he strengthened his side with the additions of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, Jeremy Doku from Stade Rennais, Matheus Nunes from Wolves, and Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. Man City’s squad was seemingly unmatched. Star forward Erling Haaland was eager to break his record of 36 Premier League goals scored in a single season, which he achieved in his first full season at the club. Homegrown talent Phil Foden was improving after every season. It seemed inevitable that City were going to make it a fourth title in a row…
…But Arsenal and Liverpool had different plans….
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was determined to not let last season’s title slip up happen again; the side was in poll position to take City to the final day until the Gunners end of season blip against Liverpool (2-2), West Ham, (2-2), Southampton (3-3), and losses against Manchester City, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest. The Gunners refused to let precious time go to waste as they dipped into the transfer market and bought Declan Rice from West Ham, David Raya on loan from Brentford, Jurrien Timber from Ajax, and Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Arsenal have not won a Premier League trophy since their memorable invincible season in 2004. Since then, Arsenal have endured underwhelming seasons with minimal accolades. Arteta’s men know that the fans deserved a proper go at the title this season and so far they have delivered. As of right now, Arsenal are second in the table with 71 points, two points behind top-of-the-table City and level on points with third-place Liverpool.
Liverpool players and fans were shocked by legendary coach Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave the club at the end of the season after nine unforgettable years at the club. Klopp was able to bring Liverpool back to the top of the world soccer radar with Premier League and Champions League wins as well as other trophies along the way. The Reds were desperate for another show-stopping season before wishing Jurgen Klopp goodbye. The additions of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart, Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and Ryan Gravenburch from Bayern helped Liverpool rebuild their entire midfield ahead of the season. While the club failed to qualify for the Champions League, they will want to add to their Carabao Cup trophy this season with a Premier League and Europa League trophy. Fun88 offers unparalleled excitement with its diverse range of casino games and sports betting opportunities.
Manchester City have had it easy in recent years, but the Premier League has not seen such an exhilarating title race for years and will be desperate for the three-horse race to continue galloping until the final day. Arsenal and Liverpool will be hungry for the Premier League title while Manchester City will be determined to keep the trophy firmly in Manchester.
Freshman Golnar Jalinous is a staff writer. Her email is gjalinou@fandm.edu