The three teams hoping to topple Manchester City next season

After an early struggle, Manchester City were the dominant team for so much of the 2020-21 Premier League season. At one point, it had looked like the title was completely up for grabs, but Pep Guardiola’s side rediscovered something like their best form and cruised to the title in the end, finishing 12 points clear of second-place Manchester United.

With the domestic campaign done and dusted, football fans are beginning to wonder which teams will be able to challenge City for the Premier League title next season. Guardiola’s men seemed imperious at times, but there were also moments of vulnerability during the campaign, so if one of the chasing pack could post more consistent results in the coming campaign, a closer title race might develop.

Let’s take a look at the three teams who are most likely to overthrow Manchester City, upset the betting exchange odds and claim the Premier League title for themselves next season.

Manchester United

The 2020-21 campaign was so nearly an excellent one for Manchester United. A second-place finish in the Premier League was a marked improvement in their league form, but having narrowly missed out on the Europa League title after losing the final on penalties to Villarreal, the season ended in disappointment.

However, there have been enough positive signs to suggest that Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side will be well placed to provide a sturdy title challenge next season, especially if they can bring in a few new signings in key areas. Consistency was the problem in 2020-21 for Manchester United, but Solskjær will be confident that his team can push City all the way next term.

Liverpool

It was a strange season for Liverpool. In the first and last third of the season, they produced the kind of form worthy of a title challenge, but in the middle of the campaign things fell apart. Following their 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace in mid-December, many were predicting that they would win the title with ease. However, a bizarre run of poor results followed, and at one point it was looking likely that Liverpool would miss out on European qualification altogether.

Jürgen Klopp and his team managed to turn it around, and with eight wins and two draws from their final 10 matches, they secured a third-place finish and built a platform on which to improve next season. A few additions in the transfer market are a necessity, and if they can add quality in the right areas, it would be no surprise to see Liverpool regain their Premier League title next season.

Chelsea

The improvement of Chelsea since Thomas Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard has been impressive. They went from being a defensively leaky side that couldn’t deliver on their potential to one of the Premier League’s best defensive units. Although they came very close to missing out on a spot in the top four, the Champions League triumph in Porto means that Tuchel’s stock is extremely high at Stamford Bridge.

If the German coach can get the best out of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz next season — two players who have not yet delivered on their hefty price tags — then Chelsea could well challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title next season.

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