The Premier League has gone on a wee break this week, as international football takes centre stage but the squad sheets are in and the contenders armed ready for the fight. With the nights drawing in and the transfer window shut, we thought it was time to have a look at the title odds. Manchester City The quality of new City manager Manuel Pellegrini was never in doubt when he was announced as the man to replace Roberto Mancini, so much so that it seemed taken for granted by most that he would hit the ground running and win games instantly. A good start masked a few issues around integrating signings into the squad and a reliance on Vincent Kompany in defence, as well as Joe Hart’s drop in form, and despite being favourites for the title there are a few pundits who think City are far from being assured a spot in the top two. 2/1 - SkyBet Chelsea Chelsea have the least new new manager you could imagine, a man not just used to winning by one that has already done so with the club in the past. Jose Mourinho has not spent a massive amount by Chelsea standards this summer, but his squad has all the signs of a very good one, with flexible attackers and some good defensive options. The lack of a world-class striker could cause an issue, but you can expect Mourinho to have his team there or thereabouts next May. 9/4 - VictorChandler - our pick Manchester United A lot was written about the failure of United to secure a big European name in this window, but that was never their style under Sir Alex Ferguson anyway. The new team of David Moyes and Ed Woodward may have preferred to sign a Fabregas or Ronaldo, but at the end of the day the squad is the same as the one that won the league last year with added elbows and hair in the shape of Marouane Fellaini, and will probably be in contention. 4/1 – Bet365 Liverpool Although the bookies have Liverpool more likely than Spurs and Arsenal to win the title this year there is a long way to go for the Anfield club, and a few hurdles in their way. The reintegration of Luis Suarez will be a challenge, and the squad is deep in defensive strength whilst being relatively light in the attacking areas, especially when it comes to proven quality. The Reds are definitely on the right path, but maybe a bit far back to make a charge this year. 12/1 – BetFred Arsenal Prior to the addition of Mesut Özil the question on a lot of lips was whether the Gunners could make the top four, but the German is a player of some quality and his assists may well be a crucial factor in Arsenal’s eventual finishing position. Admittedly it is easier to make a goal for Ronaldo than Giroud, but with Cazorla and Wilshere alongside him the man they call Nemo should at least find his way to a top four berth, and maybe an outside shot at the title if things don’t go well for others. 14/1 - BetFred Spurs Something of a dark horse, Tottenham have actually had a few tough decisions to make this summer. With the Bale transfer being strung out there looked for one glorious moment as though there was a chance AVB would get all his dreams at once, with his long-term target Willian on the verge of signing for Spurs but that went a bit wrong, and a slight gamble was taken on Christian Eriksen. Teams like Tottenham don’t usually win titles and they’re a massive long-shot, but there may be room at the top and this squad has potential. 22/1 - StanJames
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:30:01 +0000
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