Do Manchester City Have A Genuine Challenger This Season?

Manchester City are threatening to win the Premier League title in processional fashion if Arsenal don’t sustain their form.

That it’s Arsenal who look like their most likely challengers is down to their sparkling form, as well as Liverpool’s collapse.

Following his team’s 3 – 2 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp conceded they’re not in the title race.

“We are not in the title race. It’s naive to sit here and think that we are nearly there,” the German said.

 

Read: Jurgen Klopp Needs Time To Reconstruct Liverpool Squad

 

If it weren’t for Liverpool, Manchester City would have won every title for the past five years. That any other team managed to wrestle one league from them during this period is impressive. That any team managed to push them all the way for so many years is incredible.

If Liverpool are a spent force, for this season at least, it falls to Arsenal to keep them honest. However, not even the most optimistic Arsenal fans see them sustaining such electric form for the whole season.

The frightening thing about Manchester City is they now have Erling Haaland. Haaland has already scored 15 league goals and looks like exactly the unstoppable machine we thought he’d be.

Even more frightening is the fact Pep Guardiola believes his other players haven’t even hit their level yet. While Arsenal are playing beyond anyone’s wildest expectations to top the league, City still have gears to move through.

 

Read: Imperfect Chelsea Cruise Past AC Milan

 

“Of course for a player like Kevin, and especially Kevin, having this threat, this guy [Haaland] who likes to run in behind with this pace, it helps him a lot.

“Kevin again created three or four chances [against Southampton], but he can play better. Today was not the best Kevin that we know, because he can put his mate in front of the keeper most of the time – but having players like Erling, Julian [Alvarez] or Phil, making movements in behind, it is so important to him.”