Bruce Dias 
If you click here and take a look at the recent odds for the Premier League champion this season, you will see that Manchester City are 1/4 favorite, on average. Behind City are Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Spurs, in that order. The bookmakers are very rarely wrong, and today we are going to take a look into why this could, in fact, be City’s easiest title win yet.
There is a lot of football to play, of course, we are just a third of the way through the season, and City is not even in the top spot. This is all irrelevant, however, and here is why City will walk the league this year.
Lack of Challengers
Over the last three seasons, it has been Liverpool whom City has been forced to reckon with, and Klopp’s men have raised the bar to insane new levels. The City may have won a couple of titles during that time, but they were pushed to the limit by the Reds. This season though, Liverpool is struggling to reach those levels, and they will not provide much of a challenge for Guardiola’s men, in spite of the bookies having them as 4th favorites.
That leaves, realistically, Arsenal to tackle the Sky Blues, having had an electric start to the season. Unfortunately, the Gunners lack the experience here, and as the season toils on, their thin squad is likely to fall off, giving City a clear run to the title win.
The X-Factor
Erling Haaland is one of the most electrifying players on the planet, and anyone who may have doubted his ability to integrate into the league, now understands just how easy he has found it. In truth, City could probably win the league without him, yet given the sheer talent that he provides, it will make this season, and future seasons, so much easier for City. Haaland puts the fear of God into defenders, and this is what will help the Manchester side ride to another title win.
Nailing The XI
What is most worrying about this Manchester City side is that Pep still doesn’t really know his best XI. This has been in part because of rotation and also because of injuries sustained by players. Given that the season is still young, it is a worrying thought that this City team is only going to get better. That is what will worry the rest of the teams in the league.
World Cup
A lot of pundits point to the World Cup as a potential issue for City, and they may have a point. With this being said, however, the likes of Haaland, Mahrez, and Kalvin Phillips are going to have a month off, relax, training, and get stronger for the second half of the season. The city also has some fantastic youth prospects who will be able to share the load, especially in the domestic cup competitions.
What are your thoughts on City’s prospects this season?
