On the surface, Man City appear unstoppable. Their fourth consecutive Premier League title and sixth in seven seasons has given them a sense of invincibility at the top, a monopoly of English football.
But in reality, those claims are certainly overblown. Unlike other dominant teams in the league, such as PSG or previously Bayern Munich, Man City have only won the title with ease twice. Liverpool and Arsenal have followed closely behind in at least the four seasons they have won under coach Pep Guardiola.
Ahead of the 2024-2025 Premier League season, it's no exaggeration to say that Man City are in a weaker position than at any other time.
The most important factor is the question of Pep Guardiola's future. His contract expires in the summer of 2025, which will cause uncertainty for the players.
“After the final in Istanbul, I told the players, ‘It’s over, there’s nothing left.’ But I had a contract and I started thinking, ‘Nobody has won four in a row, why don’t we try?’,” Guardiola said after winning the tournament in May 2024.
“And now I feel like that goal is done, so what's next? I don't know exactly what motivation is now, it's hard to find it when everything has been achieved."
Previously, after reaching the peak of the treble in the 2022-2023 season, similar questions were asked of The Citizens. But at that time, Guardiola's contract was still long, the commitment was still guaranteed.
It's different now, when the clock is ticking down for the Spaniard. Motivation has become a problem for the players and the coach himself. With no more mountains to climb, how can Man City maintain their competitive spirit with Arsenal and Liverpool chasing them?
City are mentally weak, but that's not the only thing to worry about. Their squad is also showing many weaknesses. Over-reliance on Rodri in midfield; confusion in finding a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan; Kyle Walker or Kevin de Bruyne's performance being affected by age... Signs of instability along with questions about ambition are reaching a dead end, they pose challenges for City as the new season approaches.
This will be an opportunity for The Citizens' opponents to rise up. Among them, Arsenal will be one of the biggest threats. Mikel Arteta's team have held firm until the end of the 2023-2024 season, proving that they are an elite team capable of maintaining their competitiveness in the title competition.
Although they only finished second, the addition of Riccardo Calafiori at left-back this summer should help the Gunners avoid the risk of dropping points carelessly like they have in the past.
However, Arsenal still needs a new striker, because although Kai Havertz has done well in the false number 9 position, they still lack a real striker to make a difference. The first thing will be to break the 90-point barrier, so the Gunners need more sharp drills to have more chances of winning.
Liverpool could also be a force to reckon with. This will be Arne Slot's first season in charge and demanding the Premier League title straight away seems a bit harsh, as even Guardiola has yet to do so.
Slot will inherit Jurgen Klopp's legacy and the most valuable asset is a well-rounded, experienced midfield. He likes discipline, aiming for a compact style of play, which was Liverpool's weakness last season. This will help stars like Darwin Nunez settle down, prevent rash errors at the back and create calm in midfield.
While winning the title was a difficult task for Slot in his first year, it was not impossible.
If the players continue to maintain their form at Anfield, and if Slot can limit his instability in away games, Liverpool could cause a surprise.
From that perspective, with Liverpool's resurgence and Arsenal's growing strength, Man City are the team to worry about the upcoming season the most.
