Can anyone stop Manchester City from winning an unprecedented 4th consecutive Premier League Title? Last season’s treble winners aim to become the first team in the Premier League era to win four back-to-back league titles.
Manchester City kicked off the new campaign in the same ominous form they ended last season, with a comfortable 3-0 away victory on Friday night at newly promoted Burnley. Even more worrying for opposition defences was this: last season’s Golden Boot winner scorer, Erling Haaland, took just 181 seconds to score his first goal of the new campaign, with his first touch as well. Haaland scored a second goal later as he looked to beat the record-breaking 36 Premier League goals he scored last season.
After Manchester City laid down their marker for the new season, it was up to the rest of their main rivals to respond and show what they can offer in the new season.
Like Manchester City, Arsenal looked to be starting the season with a comfortable and confident victory. They quickly took a 2-0 lead against Forest, with home-grown superstar Bukayo Saka lighting up the match with a stunning goal. However, a poor second-half performance brought about a nervous finish as Nottingham Forest pulled a goal back as they looked to steal a draw late on. Arsenal eventually held on to the victory, but Gunners fans left the match a bit nervous about title prospects.
The Saturday evening Premier League fixture saw another potential title contender in action. Saudi-backed Newcastle United kicked off their new campaign against Aston Villa.
Last season, Newcastle broke into the Top Four of the Premier League and qualified for the European Champions League for the first time since 2004 as their newfound financial wealth started to take effect on the pitch. The challenge for Newcastle this season is to improve on last season’s success by starting to challenge for the major trophies.
The season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Toon Army as they put on the performance of the weekend by beating Aston Villa 5-1. New Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali put in a sensational debut man-of-the-match display. Tonali put Newcastle into the lead, with fellow debutant Harvey Barnes sealing the victory with the fifth goal in added time.
Newcastle were in devastating form and looked like they could achieve greater things this season. Another Top Four finish is the minimum expectation for their fans. However, whether they are ready to challenge Manchester City for the title remains to be seen.
The first Super Sunday match of the new season saw two of last season’s biggest underachievers face off at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea took on Liverpool. Chelsea suffered a nightmare season last year as their new owners failed to bring stability to the club as they had promised. Chelsea went through three different managers in the 2022/23 campaign and spent over £500 million on 30-plus new players. However, the high spending created an overly inflated squad with many unhappy players. Without team spirit, Chelsea finished 12th in the table for their lowest league position since 1996.
A new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, came in during the summer, and another major spending spree occurred. However, several high-earning players have left the club to create a more balanced squad, hopefully.
Liverpool, in comparison, had a better season but still fell short of their usual high standards as they finished fifth in the league. They also failed to qualify for the European Champions League for the first time since the 2015-16 season. A significant summer overhaul of the squad, especially in the midfield area, had left Liverpool supporters hopeful that manager Jurgen Klopp would have the team back to their recent title-challenging standards.
The opening day fixture between Chelsea and Liverpool left fans on both sides with more questions than answers about this season’s prospects. Liverpool started with their new-look midfield, and the attack linked up brilliantly as Mohamed Salah set up Luis Diaz to give them the lead. However, Chelsea became the better side as the match went on and should have taken all three points. Eventually, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The conclusion for both sides is that without additional reinforcements, particularly in the midfield area, making the Top Four is the most realistic aspiration. That’s because a title challenge, at least at the moment, looks a long way off for both Chelsea and Liverpool.
The last opening Premier League weekend match saw Manchester United take on Wolves at Old Trafford. Manchester United finished third last season in Eric Ten Hag’s first year in charge. They also won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final. United fans now hope Ten Hag can go one step better and win the Premier League title for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager in 2013.
So there is excitement amongst Manchester United fans going into the season, believing that the team can challenge their local rivals and stop them from claiming that record fourth successive crown. That excitement may have dipped a bit after watching the team struggle in a 1-0 victory against a Wolves team many predict to be destined for relegation.
Of course, there’s a long way to go in the Premier League season, and many surprises are guaranteed along the way. That said, the opening weekend play confirms that Manchester City are still the team to beat. That fourth consecutive league title may not be elusive at all.
