da supremo： City have won the title in five of the past six seasons, so which of their rivals has the best chance of running them the closest in 2023-24?

da betobet： For the fifth time in six seasons, Manchester City are champions of the Premier League. It looked for a while like Arsenal could potentially end City’s dominance over the English top-flight, but ultimately they ran out of steam amid the relentless pursuit of the winning machine that has been put together by Pep Guardiola.

Yet another title triumph for City does beg the question as to how the rest can stop them. What do the other runners and riders have to do this summer to close the gap or even overtake Guardiola’s side?

Below, GOAL takes a look…

Getty ImagesArsenal

No-one expected Arsenal to mount the sort of title charge that they did this season. Ultimately, they fell short, but they have shown that they have managed to cut the gap between themselves and Manchester City massively thanks to some expert coaching and some smart recruitment in the transfer market. 

The challenge now is building on what they have done this season and getting things right in the summer window is going to be crucial to that. Arsenal need to build a squad that ensures that when Mikel Arteta rotates his favoured starting XI, the drop off in level is not felt as much as it is right now. 

They need to bring in top-quality players that allows Arteta to confidently switch players around knowing that those who come in can continue to play at the level of the more regular starters. Pep Guardiola can do exactly that at City, Arteta can’t and that is where Arsenal fell short this season. 

When they got injuries to big names, they couldn’t maintain their level. That’s why Arteta wants to bring in Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, that’s why they are looking at Mason Mount’s situation at Chelsea. All three are players that have proven they can do it at the top level, and that’s what Arsenal need to close the gap to City even further. 

Some tough decisions will need to be made. Some popular players, such as Kieran Tierney, Granit Xhaka and Emile Smith Rowe might need to be shown the door as part of the next stage of the rebuild. But if that’s what’s needed to be done to raise the level, then Arteta will not be afraid to do it. 

Signing some much needed cover for Bukayo Saka is absolutely imperative, while a new centre-back is also needed. Getting William Saliba’s contract sorted has to be at the top of the to do list as well this summer. 

Arsenal have to have a squad that can go toe to toe with City and compete in the Champions League next season. To do that the recruitment this summer has to be perfect.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesManchester United

When Manchester United came from behind to beat City at Old Trafford in January, the gap between the Red Devils and their noisy neighbours did not seem so large. Four months on, and the difference in quality and squad depth looks bigger than the Grand Canyon. While City went from strength to strength from February onwards, United ran out of breath and have looked on the brink of collapsing.

The number one priority for Erik ten Hag in the summer is to land a prolific striker, and he has made no secret of that. But even if they can sign Victor Osimhen or Harry Kane, they will still have a goalkeeper incapable of playing the ball out from the back and a midfield that relies too much on Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro running themselves into the ground. A young, dynamic midfielder would help them close the gap on City, as would a goalkeeper equipped to meet the demands of the modern game.

But with funds running low and the club's takeover still unresolved, it is likely to take at least one year, if not more, before United are ready to compete with City again.

GettyLiverpool

You can bookmark this, because it could come back to haunt me in 12 months’ time, but I fully expect Liverpool to regroup and come back strong next season, after a campaign of disappointment this time around.

Will it be enough to dethrone Manchester City, however? I’m not so sure. The Reds, don’t forget, have achieved 90-plus point seasons three times in the last four years prior to this, and only once was it enough to win them the Premier League title. Unfortunately, that’s the price on the ticket these days. The margin for error is so slim, as Arsenal have discovered recently. 

There is no doubt, in my mind at least, that while Arsenal’s revival has been exceptional, while Newcastle’s growth is only going to accelerate and while Manchester United and Chelsea will both expect to be stronger next season, the team Guardiola will be most interested in is Liverpool. They might be the fifth-best team in the league right now, but they’re the ones that have proven they can destabilise and unnerve City, who will be desperate for signs that the decline at Anfield is a permanent one.

How do Liverpool get it right? Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment. They need a run of signings similar to those made between June 2017 and July 2018, when they added Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Fabinho, creating the bulk of the side which went on to win everything. 

It’s midfielders they need now, two of them, minimum, and probably a centre-back, too. They don’t necessarily need superstars and huge names, but they need players who can run, who can handle the rigours of the Premier League and who can stay fit and perform consistently, allowing the likes of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the rest to do their thing. 

If they get them, and if they can find some momentum early in the season, then I fully expect them to be there or thereabouts come May 2024.

GettyChelsea

Mauricio Pochettino has a huge job on his hands if he is to get Chelsea anywhere near Manchester City next season. The one positive that Pochettino has, however, is that he at least can’t make anything worse at Stamford Bridge. 

Chelsea have been a shambles for the past 12 months, from top to bottom, and a huge part of that blame has to be levelled at the new ownership and Todd Boehly. The approach to the transfer market was embarrassing and that gave his coach, whether that be Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter or even Frank Lampard, a near-impossible job. 

Chelsea simply have to get players out that summer, they have to give Pochettino a squad that is manageable, because right now the number of players they have on their books makes it almost impossible. There are good players there and in Pochettino they have a fine coach who knows what it takes to impress in the Premier League. 

If he can have a squad of around 25 players and can get on with things without any distractions from above in west London, then he will certainly get Chelsea back at least competing for the Champions League places. But moving a number of players on is absolutely crucial to that and then adding a further one or two, especially a striker.