Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes (Picture: beIN SPORTS)
Paul Scholes has revealed his Premier League title prediction as the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool look to dethrone Manchester City this season.
Having become the first team to win four consecutive English titles last season, Man City will look to make it five on the bounce in 2024-25.
But Pep Guardiola’s side look set to face intense competition from Arsenal, who have finished second for two years in a row and took the title race to the final day of the season back in May.
Liverpool were in title contention for much of the 2023-24 campaign but have to cope with the departure of Anfield legend Jurgen Klopp, with Arne Slot appointed as the German’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 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.’
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