The 2021/22 Premier League campaign turned into another good one for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side. Having missed out on the 2019/20 English top flight title to Jurgen Klopp’s side and failed to make it three league titles on the spin, City are now back in that position in the 2022/23 campaign having restored our dominance in 2020/21.
Guardiola will certainly want to finally conquer the UEFA Champions League title this season, but with Liverpool running us so close last term, there will absolutely be no complacency shown to our domestic fixtures in the coming year. With Klopp’s Liverpool pushing the title down to the final weekends round of action, despite clearly being the far better team on the day, every City fan knows that despite how thrilling it proved to be, our late fight back over Aston Villa on home soil could well have turned out differently.
Few in the world of football expect the next title race to go down that close to the line again, particular following our capture of former Borussia Dortmund hotshot Erling Haaland given his incredible goal return in the German Bundesliga since 2020. Whether or not the 22-year-old Norway international can replicate 62 goals in 59 league starts and then 24 goals in 20 domestic cup and European competitions remains to be seen, as everyone knows the differing pace and physicality of the Premier League, but few would fail to tip the youngster to have another successful spell in a different country given how his career has gone so far and any Premier League betting site would give decent odds on him having success in his maiden year here.
On Friday evening the top flight season gets underway properly as two former City staffers go head to head – former coach Mikel Arteta takes his Arsenal side to Selhurst Park to face off against former EDS head Patrick Vieira, so with build up well underway now to the first weekend of action in the new season, Betway Insider brought together former four time Manchester City Player of the Year and skipper, Richard Dunne, with ex Liverpool right back Glen Johnson to discuss both sides chances of success in the coming football year.
There were a few topics covered, and with City clear favourites to make it three successive title wins on the spin this campaign, both players agreed that it was very much Pep Guardiola’s to lose – but neither saw that actually happening given the quality of players we have in our squad.
Beginning with 37-year-old former England fullback Johnson, he did not feel his former side yet had the overall quality to close the gap again.
“Again it pains me to say it, world class manager, world class signings, world class squad. I just think it’s going to be up against Liverpool this season to try and bridge the gap.”
42-year-old former Republic of Ireland centre half felt Liverpool’s best chance of success was if we took our eye off the ball in the chase for European success, but he just did not feel that would happen.
“I think Liverpool are looking at it and going hopefully, hopefully they take their eye off the ball a little bit at Man City, but they don’t yeah, they keep going, going, going. Man City are relentless, they keep going and I fancy them to win the league again.”
Having failed to lift the Community Shield for the second successive year, City fans will be hoping that becomes an omen for the league this year, but ultimately it is in our hands, there is every reason for confidence, but plenty will be looking to see how Klopp’s side start the year against Fulham in Saturday’s early kick off and who knows, we may instantly have a three point advantage over them.
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