On the surface, Man City seemed unstoppable. The fourth consecutive Premier League title and sixth of seven seasons has brought a sense of security at the top, an exclusive force in English football.
But in reality, those shouts are certainly exaggerated. Unlike the team that dominated other tournaments such as PSG or before Bayern Munich, Man City only easily won the championship twice. Liverpool and Arsenal have taken turns following closely at least in the four seasons they have won under Pep Guardiola.
Ahead of the 2024-2025 Premier League season, it is not too much to say that Man City is in a weaker situation than at any other time.
The most important factor is the question about Pep Guardiola's future. His contract will expire in the summer of 2025, which will make the players worried.
After the final night in Istanbul, I told the players, 'Its done, theres nothing left. But I have a contract and I started thinking 'No one 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 over, so what next? Now I don't know exactly what motivation is, it's hard to find it when you've achieved everything."
Previously, after reaching the peak of the treble in the 2022-2023 season, similar questions were raised for The Citizens. But at that time Guardiola's contract was still long, and the commitment was still guaranteed.
It is different from now, when time is counting down for the Spanish coach. motivation becomes a problem for the players and for the coach himself. With no mountain to climb, how can Man City maintain a competitive spirit with the Arsenal and Liverpool chasing them?
City are mentally weak, but that is not the only concern. Their squad is also revealing many weaknesses. Over-reliance on Rodri in midfield; confusion in finding a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan; Kyle Walker or Kevin de Bruyne are affected by age... Signs of instability along with questions about ambition are going into a dead end, they pose a challenge for City as the new season is approaching.
This will be an opportunity for The Citizens' opponents to take the lead. In which Arsenal will be one of the biggest threats. Mikel Arteta's team has stayed strong 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 have only finished as runners-up, with Riccardo Calafiori added at left-back this summer, the Gunners can limit the risk of dropping points carelessly as before.
However, Arsenal still need a new striker, because although Kai Havertz did well in the false nine position, they still lack a real striker to make a difference. The first step is to break the 9-point barrier, so the Gunners need more sharp drills to have more chances to win.
In addition, Liverpool can also be the force that makes the race more attractive. This will be the first season under Arne Slot and demanding the Premier League title immediately seems a bit strict, because even Guardiola has not done that.
Slot will inherit Jurgen Klopp's legacy and the most valuable thing is a smooth, experienced midfield. He likes discipline, towards a tight playing style, which was Liverpool's weakness last season. This will help stars like Darwin Nunez stabilize, prevent short-term errors in defense and create calmness in midfield.
Although winning the title was a difficult task for Slot in the first year, it was not impossible.
If the players continue to maintain their form at Anfield, and if Slot limits his instability in away matches, Liverpool can make a surprise.
From that perspective, with Liverpool and Arsenal's revival becoming stronger, Man City are the team that should be most worried about the upcoming season.
