The stage is set for the 2023-24 season of the English Premier League to get underway. The curtain raiser which is the Community Shield is done, and teams and fans alike are all set to get the term started.
The 20 teams will be geared up to achieve their respective goals as they battle in the most competitive league in the word.
As we await the opener on Friday, we will preview the ‘Big six’ and in this particular article, we take a look at the defending champions, Manchester City.
The team from Manchester continued with their dominance last season as they became only the second English side to win the treble. They beat off competition from Arsenal to win the league before adding the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League .
Pep Guardiola’s team will once again start the league as the title favourites but this time their competitors have strengthened their squads. Whether Pep leads his troops to a sixth League trophy in seven years or whether they get dethroned remains to be seen.
Transfer Activity
There hasn’t been any need to splash much cash around on new signings so far. Guardiola’s side has brought in two Croatian’s to strengthen the team. Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol have joined the star-studded squad, and adding these two players has only made City stronger.
Kovacic joined the club from Chelsea and comes in as a direct replacement for IIkay Gundogan, who left the team at the end of last season for Barcelona, while the Gvardiol signing gives Guardiola selection problems at the back, as the Spanish tactician now has six central defenders.
But, Manchester City now are tasked to replace Riyad Mahrez, who left the club for Al-Ahli a few weeks ago. In all his five seasons at the club, Mahrez hit double figures for goals and was an integral member of the squad. Michael Olise has been the one linked to replace the Algerian, however, it looks like Guardiola might put trust in youngster Cole Palmer, who netted city’s lone goal in the Community Shield loss to Arsenal.
Irrespective of whether they bring in another player to replace Mahrez or trust Palmer, Manchester City have an excellent squad to fight on all fronts and add more silverware.
What to expect in the upcoming season
Manchester City will again start the season as title favourites but the challenge is expected to be tougher this time around. Arsenal, who have already beaten City in the Community Shield will be back stronger in order to win their first League trophy since 2004, while Manchester United and Chelsea have strengthened their squads with incredible new signings. Liverpool will also be back in the title fold after enduring a difficult 2022/23 season and missing out on the UEFA Champions League qualification.
Just like last season, the title race is expected to go down to wire, but City will be the team to beat. However, matches against the rest of the Big six will go a long way in deciding the title.
Having broken several records last season, Erling Haaland is expected to showcase that same performance this upcoming season in order to guide City to a fourth consecutive League title. This will make them the first team to achieve that in the Premier League history.
Fixtures
For the seventh successive season, Manchester City will begin their Premier League campaign away from home, and in 2023/24 they will make the trip to Turf more to face newly promoted Burnley on the opening day.
The Citizen will then play Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup on August 16 at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece.
Their first home game of the new season will be against Newcastle United on August 19, before finishing the month with an encounter against another newly promoted side Sheffield United on 27th Aug.
Their first game against a Big six side will happen on 7th October when they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal before playing Manchester United three weeks later at Old Trafford.
