In an attempt to unseat Manchester City this season, teams like Arsenal and Liverpool have disclosed Paul Scholes’ prediction for the Premier League championship.
Manchester City will try to win five straight in 2024–25 after being the first side to do so in English history the previous season.
But Arsenal, who have placed second the last two seasons and forced the championship fight to go to the very last day of the season back in May, appears to be poised to pose a serious threat to Pep Guardiola’s team.
Throughout the most of the 2023–24 season, Liverpool was a strong contender for the championship, but they now had to deal with the loss of legendary Anfield manager Jurgen Klopp. Arne Slot has been named as Klopp’s replacement.
The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle United will all hope to climb up the Premier League table, though title challenges looks to be beyond them.
Man City are favourites to lift their seventh Premier League trophy since 2018 but Scholes believes their stranglehold over the title will be ended by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
‘I think the favourites are the same as last year. Man City will be favourites, closely followed by Arsenal,’ the former England midfielder told beIN SPORTS.
"I expect Arsenal to be the team to win it this year"
Premier League legend Paul Scholes is predicting the 20 year wait for a Premier League title is coming to an end this season!#beINPL #AFC #Arsenal #MUFC pic.twitter.com/B3TTCJBwYT
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) August 12, 2024
‘I do expect Arsenal to be the team to win it this year. I think they’ve progressed over the last couple of years under Mikel Arteta.
‘I just think this year is the time where they are ready to win it. It’s not going to be easy, there’s going to be a lot of competition because the top seven or eight teams in England are all good teams.
‘But I just think Arsenal will be the team to break the Manchester City cycle this season.’
Premier League is ‘ours to lose’
Ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League opener on Friday night, Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has declared the title ‘ours to lose’.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, the England defender said: ‘I wouldn’t say it’s an ego, but we’ve done this now four times in a row – this is our trophy to lose.
‘I can assure you, when you’re looking down at your arm and you’ve got that gold badge that no-one else has got it’s a good feeling. Long may it continue.
‘For us to go and do four in a row off the back of a Treble was a great achievement.
‘To pick yourself up and go again after such a high, plus we won the Super Cup and Club World Cup as well, was especially important.
‘Now, why can’t we go and do five in a row? Why can’t we go and do something I don’t think will probably be ever be done again?
‘That’s the motivation we have to create from us as a group of players, from me as a captain.’