Liverpool’s late-season collapse enabled City to power to the title in May, but the campaign that gets under way on Saturday will look very different to the one that preceded it. Luis Suarez, last season’s outstanding player, has left Liverpool for Barcelona after creating yet another biting storm by sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
‘It will be interesting to watch, the Premier League, because it looks like the big teams will all be very strong,’ predicted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side outclassed City 3-0 in Sunday’s Community Shield.
City have signed six new players, but it was not until Monday, when the £32 million capture of French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala from Porto was finally confirmed, that they truly flexed their muscles. With key players such as Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero short of fitness after taking time off after the World Cup, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are unlikely to be firing on all cylinders for some time.
‘Five or six teams have the chance to win, but we have a stronger squad than last year. We hope we can repeat it, but we have to demonstrate that on the pitch,’ said Pellegrini.
Chelsea seem likely to provide the strongest threat to City, with manager Jose Mourinho having bolstered his side in every department.Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returns from his long-term loan at Atletico Madrid to challenge Petr Cech for the number-one jersey, while Filipe Luis, Fabregas, £32 million striker Diego Costa and Drogba all add quality and experience. Tottenham will hope that new coach Mauricio Pochettino can work some of the magic that saw Southampton achieve a surprise eighth-place finish under his stewardship last season. It is an achievement the south-coast club will struggle to replicate, with Adam Lallana, Shaw, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers having all followed Pochettino out the door at St Mary’s.
Pochettino was succeeded at Southampton by former Netherlands defender Ronald Koeman, while West Bromwich Albion also have a new head coach in former Everton academy manager Alan Irvine.
‘It will be interesting to watch, the Premier League, because it looks like the big teams will all be very strong,’ predicted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side outclassed City 3-0 in Sunday’s Community Shield.
City have signed six new players, but it was not until Monday, when the £32 million capture of French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala from Porto was finally confirmed, that they truly flexed their muscles. With key players such as Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero short of fitness after taking time off after the World Cup, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are unlikely to be firing on all cylinders for some time.
‘Five or six teams have the chance to win, but we have a stronger squad than last year. We hope we can repeat it, but we have to demonstrate that on the pitch,’ said Pellegrini.
Chelsea seem likely to provide the strongest threat to City, with manager Jose Mourinho having bolstered his side in every department.Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returns from his long-term loan at Atletico Madrid to challenge Petr Cech for the number-one jersey, while Filipe Luis, Fabregas, £32 million striker Diego Costa and Drogba all add quality and experience. Tottenham will hope that new coach Mauricio Pochettino can work some of the magic that saw Southampton achieve a surprise eighth-place finish under his stewardship last season. It is an achievement the south-coast club will struggle to replicate, with Adam Lallana, Shaw, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers having all followed Pochettino out the door at St Mary’s.
Pochettino was succeeded at Southampton by former Netherlands defender Ronald Koeman, while West Bromwich Albion also have a new head coach in former Everton academy manager Alan Irvine.