The 2024/25 English Premier League (EPL) season’s opening weekend is almost here and all eyes will be on defending champions Manchester City as the team will be hoping to extend their record breaking run which has seen them win four Premier League titles in a row.

Despite competitors Arsenal looking even better than they did last season, City captain Kyle Walker believes that Manchester City are favourites in the league , saying the title is ‘ours to lose’.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an ego, but we’ve done this now four times in a row - this is our trophy to lose. I can assure you, when you’re looking down at your arm and you’ve got that gold badge that no-one else has got it’s a good feeling. Long may it continue,” said Kyle Walker to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club

The Premier League title race came down to the final day of the season in the 2023/24 campaign, which saw Pep Guardiola’s men pip Arsenal for the title by two points. Arsenal have looked great in pre-season, with the side playing the same free flowing football that they have redeveloped under Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners have only made two transfers so far in the window, including the permanent transfer of David Raya who was on a loan deal the previous season. Alongside Raya, the team that had the best defensive record in the last season also signed on versatile defender Riccardo Calafiori to bolster an already strong backline.

If reports are to be believed, Arsenal are in a strong position to sign Mikel Merino and have been heavily linked to a number of strikers, as Gabriel Jesus is injury prone.

According to Arsenal’s sporting director Edu, more incomings are on their way and the fans need to ‘be patient and they won’t be disappointed.’

Manchester City, on the other hand, have not made any major additions to their team this season, the side bought talented Brazilian Savinho but have not been active in the market.

With the season just around the corner, the excitement is at an all time high. Will the giants Manchester City make history and become the first English team to win five titles in a row or will this finally be the year Mikel Arteta bests his former mentor Pep?

According to Walker the team is using the historic achievement that they could achieve as extra motivation.

“For us to go and do four in a row off the back of a Treble was a great achievement. To pick yourself up and go again after such a high, plus we won the Super Cup and Club World Cup as well, was especially important. Now, why can’t we go and do five in a row? Why can’t we go and do something I don’t think will probably be ever be done again? That’s the motivation we have to create from us as a group of players, from me as a captain,” he added.

Manchester City’s grip on the Premier League title has reached an unprecedented four years but off-field doubts surround the English champions ahead of the new season.

Guardiola turned City into the dominant force in English football with six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons.

Guardiola, though, is entering the final year of his contract and the City boss has offered no guarantees that he plans to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium to a decade.

“Nine years today in the same club is an eternity,” Guardiola said during pre-season. “I want to be sure it’s the right decision. Not just for me, for the club, for the players.”

City have only added Brazilian winger Savinho and appear weaker for the impending sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. Arsenal look the best-placed challengers to take City’s crown after finishing second in each of the past two seasons.

The 89 points amassed by Arteta’s men last season is only surpassed in the Gunners’ history by the unbeaten “Invincibles”, who won Arsenal’s last Premier League title in 2003/04.

Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori is Arsenal’s only major close-season signing to date, strengthening what was the best defence in the league last season.

But the Gunners are the coming force in the English game.

Arteta’s squad was the third youngest in the league last season and features a host of stars such as William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli yet to hit their peak years.

Agencies