We are now five games into the new Premier League campaign and both Manchester clubs are flying high at the top of the table.
Alphabetical order has City above United for the time being and plenty of punters will be keen to back Pep Guardiola’s men, currently favourites at EVS with 888sport, in the title race after their 6-0 demolition of Marco Silva’s Watford on Saturday.
But let’s not get carried away just yet: we are only midway through September after all. The Premier League title race has barely begun and already, we are suggesting that it is going to be a two-way battle for the crown.
You could argue that all six of the following clubs are still very much in the mix for top flight glory this campaign...
MANCHESTER CITY
When Manchester City are good, they are VERY good. And so far in September, they have been VERY good. Pep Guardiola needed time to fully adjust to life in the Premier League but the former Bayern Munich manager appears settled and content with his squad.
On paper, the Blues have the strongest unit in English football by some distance and their strength in depth could prove decisive...
Finding a way to get the most out of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus was never going to be easy but City’s two star strikers have started to shine together in recent weeks.
With both men in fine form, the rest of the Premier League will be shuddering at the prospect of facing this City juggernaut. Worthy favourites after their efforts this month.
Odds: EVS
MANCHESTER UNITED
The Red Devils are in supreme form right now and Jose Mourinho will be quietly confident of bringing the Premier League title back to Old Trafford.
Nemanja Matic and £75 million man Romelu Lukaku have both settled quickly in their new surroundings and both men will be key to United’s title aspirations, particularly at the business end of the campaign.
We all know how the story goes: Mourinho wins the domestic title in his second season at a club. His past record is extraordinary to say the least but it would be foolish to read into that too much.
If Lukaku, currently the Premier League’s joint top goal scorer with 5, can perform at a high level throughout the campaign, United will be right up there. 5/2 is a decent price but their form against the big clubs will determine title chances...
Odds: 5/2
CHELSEA
A lack of composure could hinder Chelsea’s chances this season. The Blues have a poor disciplinary record and Antonio Conte must work on that in the coming months.
With Diego Costa reportedly set to leave Stamford Bridge in the near future, Chelsea fans will expect summer signing Alvaro Morata to continue to lead the line upfront for the most part of the campaign.
On the opening weekend, Chelsea lost their nerve and suffered a disappointing home defeat to Burnley – that cannot happen again. Even against Arsenal in their most recent clash, the Blues were living dangerously and on another day, the Gunners could have picked up three points from that clash.
Conte’s side will be there or thereabouts but they must improve; the defending champions cannot rely on other clubs dropping too many points.
Odds: 11/2
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
As long as Harry Kane stays fit, Spurs have an outside chance of lifting the Premier League title. The England man has been in supreme form as of late but not even he could make the difference against a resolute Swansea defence last time out.
Tottenham’s Wembley woes look set to continue unless something drastic changes – their Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund could kick-start their season.
Defensively, Tottenham still look fairly solid but it is hard to place too much faith in Mauricio Pochettino’s side right now.
Dropping too many home points against clubs like Swansea and Burnley could come back to haunt Spurs in the second half of the season. 16/1 for a famous title triumph represents good value but it may be beyond their current capabilities.
Odds: 16/1
LIVERPOOL
Offensively, Liverpool tick all the right boxes. Mohamed Salah is a phenomenal talent and the former Roma man has been one of Liverpool’s best players so far this campaign.
Jurgen Klopp will be quietly confident of leading his troops to a second successive top four finish but the Premier League crown may be a little far-fetched at this moment in time.
If Liverpool’s offense is exceptionally good, Liverpool’s defence is exceptionally bad. To put their efforts into perspective, the Reds have conceded nine goals this season – only West Ham United have conceded more.
Their current defensive unit just doesn’t cut it and Klopp knows it. Liverpool will continue to drop points against the Premier League’s “lesser” clubs until their defensive issues are solved.
Odds: 25/1
ARSENAL
In years gone by, Arsenal have been consistently scrapping it out at the top of the Premier League table. Whether Arsene Wenger has lost the dressing room or not, his tenure at the club should have ended a couple of seasons ago – the Frenchman has contributed massively to Arsenal’s demise.
Signing a player of Alexander Lacazette’s calibre and then playing him out of position is such a Wenger thing to do.
The Gunners did well to get a point away at Chelsea on Sunday but with a slightly different game plan, they could have won that game. Arsenal have yet to record an away victory this season and there is a sour atmosphere surrounding the Emirates Stadium once again.
It is still early days but the signs are NOT promising for a dramatic Arsenal title bid.
Odds: 28/1
