The top flight of English football, the Premier League boasts some of the best superstars in Europe and the world. Storied clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea call England their home. Yet one team has stuck out more than all of those aforementioned in past years and even more so than other top European teams.
Manchester City has won the league five times out of the last six seasons, the only exclusion being their 2nd place in Liverpool’s 2019 championship campaign. The Sky Blues have produced and obtained world-class players like Sergio Agüero, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, and David Silva. Now, City finds themselves with two 23-year-old pots of gold, with 2023 Ballon D’or runnerup Erling Haaland and World Cup winner Julián Álvarez.
Haaland struck 36 balls into the net in only 35 appearances in his 2022 rookie campaign in the Premier League. He tied a record of 5 goals in a single Champions League match…
Now, after the conclusion of Week 14 in the 2023 season, City finds themselves 3rd in the table, trailing front-runner Arsenal by two points and Liverpool by one. However, this has only occurred due to an unfortunate spell of draws for Man City, as they took home three draws in a row. They’d be on top of the table with one different result, and the stats show it’s imminent. Leading the league with 36 goals and a whopping 20-goal differential (goals for minus goals allowed), it is only time before Manchester finds its stride.
Pep Guardiola, a former player for Barcelona himself, was the former head coach of the storied Spanish club. Under the brilliant manager, Barca won the Spanish league (La Liga) three times, boasted two Champions League victories, and success in two Copa Del Rays (the top Spanish tournament). After departing Lionel Messi and the Spaniards, Pep won the German league (Bundesliga) thrice with star-studded Bayern Munich.
So now we find ourselves in the era of Manchester dominance, with the aforementioned five Premier League victories and now a Champions League trophy a couple of months ago in the 2022 campaign, all under Guardiola. He is considered the best football coach ever, and his touch on his squads is undeniable. He invented Barcelona’s still-utilized strategy, Tiki Taka, which is now replicated worldwide.
As a diehard Liverpool fan, I hope the Reds can capitalize on their second place. They take on the leaders on December 23, and that battle with Arsenal is sure to impress and be pivotal in the title race. With Bukayo Saka and many other stars, you cannot count the Gunners out, even versus Liverpool and Manchester City.
Tottenham sits right on the brink of the top four, with their fifth place demonstrating their willpower to push the top teams, securing a 3-3 draw against City on December 3. Surprisingly, Aston Villa slithered their way into fourth. However, we will see if the Lions can retain their position with their next two fixtures against City on December 6 and December 9 against Arsenal. Tying a bottom team like Bournemouth on the 3rd was not a good sign, but anything can happen in this beautiful game.
Watch out for City, the Gunners, the Reds, the Spurs, and Villa. But don’t count Newcastle in seventh or the Red Devils at Manchester United. It’s sure to be an excellent 23/24 campaign for our beloved sport and the top league in the world. It could always end in dramatic fashion, so do not miss a moment.
