Danny Murphy sees Arsenal as clear favourites for the new Premier League season. The former England midfielder believes the biggest threat to Mikel Arteta's team aiming for a second consecutive title will come from Manchester City.
Arsenal kicks off their title defence with a home fixture against newly promoted Coventry City. Before the season even begins, the Gunners have reaffirmed their status as frontrunners after thrashing Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.
Arteta has bolstered his squad with the signings of Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tsolis, with Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa expected to follow as the next addition.
While Murphy acknowledges the potential for shifts in power dynamics before the transfer window closes, he currently sees no team better positioned than the reigning champions:
It’s always tricky to make predictions before a tournament starts, especially since the leading clubs still have a lot of work to do before the transfer window slams shut. But right now, I can't see anyone but Arsenal finishing as champions.
The key reasons are the momentum and confidence they’ve gained after winning the Premier League, along with stability: the same manager, the same key players, plus some added quality.
They haven’t lost any of their best players and have a squad that fully understands the manager's demands and embraces his philosophy.
Mikel Arteta hasn’t had to spend half the pre-season explaining his principles like a new coach often would.
He regards Manchester City, rather than Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester United, as Arsenal’s primary challenger, despite the club undergoing a managerial change and the appointment of Enzo Maresca:
I look at Manchester City's attacking potential. Whoever the manager is and whoever they play against, this team is still capable of scoring plenty of goals and winning many matches.
I still see them as Arsenal's closest rival.
As for his former club Liverpool, Murphy believes they have a tougher road ahead in the title race. With Andoni Iraola taking charge, he thinks the Reds will require time to adjust:
Liverpool might need a bit more time before they'll be ready to compete for the title again.
I’m also not sure they’ve done enough to replace Mohamed Salah, having signed Victor Munoz and possibly giving Rio Nguemo a bigger role. Or are they genuinely going to push for Bradley Barcola from PSG or another player of similar standing in the coming days?
Nonetheless, he anticipates seeing Liverpool in the top four. Meanwhile, he predicts newly promoted Ipswich Town could be the surprise package of the season:
I’m not saying they’ll finish in the top four, but Ipswich could surprise and avoid a relegation battle amidst the promoted sides.
They’ve spent quite a bit and signed around a dozen players — similar to Sunderland last season, and have focused on very athletic players.
Gary O'Neil has done well with Wolverhampton and Bournemouth, and now he has enough experience to know when to take risks and when to play it safe.
