August 8th 2024.
In an interview with Casino Hawks, former Premier League player Michael Owen shared his belief that Manchester City's dominance in the league is coming to an end this season. Despite winning four consecutive titles, Owen believes City will struggle to maintain their top position and may not even finish in the top three.
Compared to their rivals who have made significant investments in their squads, City's spending this summer has been relatively modest. Arsenal, for example, have added Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and secured goalkeeper David Raya on a permanent deal. Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, have also impressed in their pre-season games and are hoping to secure a deal for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi.
The upcoming Community Shield match between City and Manchester United will give a better indication of where City stands before the league officially kicks off. However, Owen already senses a potential change in power. "It's almost like if City are not going to be really in the race after 10 games then their priority could go elsewhere - I think there could be a big surprise this season." Owen predicts Arsenal to finish first, followed by Liverpool, Aston Villa, and then City in fourth place.
As for City's rivals, Arsenal showed their strength in their recent match against Bayer Leverkusen, winning 4-1. Manager Mikel Arteta praised his team's performance and saw a lot of positives to take away from the game. "We can take a lot of positives from the game as well as the result. The way we performed, there were lots of positive aspects, collectively and individually." However, Arteta also acknowledged areas for improvement, especially in the second half when he made seven changes. Overall, he saw it as a good test against a well-coached team.
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