Premier League Title Betting: Manchester City's time has come

Premier League / Mike Norman / 04 August 2010 / 1 Comments

Roberto Mancini has a squad strong enough to enable Man City to challenge for the Premier League title this season

"The squad Roberto Mancini (and partly Mark Hughes) has assembled at Eastlands looks capable of mounting a serious challenge for the title, and with plenty of funds available Mancini’s squad-strengthening hasn’t necessarily stopped yet."

In what promises to be a mouthwatering season, "Mystical" Mike Norman believes Manchester City now have a squad capable of winning one of the greatest prizes in football - the Premier League title.

Without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, the 2010-11 Premier League season is set to be one of the most exciting and closely fought title races this country has seen for a long time.

True, we've had title races go down to the wire on many occasions previously, but this season - which commences in just 10 days time - is promising something spectacular with at least four clubs, possibly even five or six, having the potential to be in contention right up until the very last month of the season.

Put simply, the gap is closing. When Chelsea won the title in 2005 they did so by accumulating 95 points, in 2006 they managed to secure 91 points, but last year they won the title with just 86 points. It's a similar story for Manchester United - despite finishing only one point behind Chelsea, they accumulated less points last season than they did in any of the previous three seasons. The reason being - in my opinion only - is that there are more clubs capable of taking points off the big boys than ever before, and with Tottenham breaking into the top four last season, and Manchester City being serious title contenders this time around, it's quite possible we could have four or five clubs separated by no more than eight or so points come the end of the season.

Chelsea - available to back at [2.8] - are obviously going to be difficult to beat in their quest to retain the title they won at the first time of asking under Carlo Ancelotti, but their lack of activity in the transfer market is a little surprising.

The only signing of note the Blues have made this summer is to bring in Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool but at the same time they've lost a few big names - their own choice admittedly - in Joe Cole and Michael Ballack. Having said that, both Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien will return to action following long spells on the sidelines last season meaning Ancelotti's squad should be just as strong as it was last time around.

The onus then is on the chasing clubs to close the gap, and strictly speaking Manchester Utd ([3.8]) have only two points to find to pip Chelsea to the title. Of course, we all know it doesn't work like that but I do feel - as I mentioned a few weeks ago - that United are in a strong position to mount a serious title challenge, especially if (and it's a big if) they can keep their star players off the treatment table. Put it this way, if I could envisage at this stage the title race being between just Chelsea and United then I'd rather back Sir Alex Ferguosn's men than Ancelotti's. Let me know what you think.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool have been strengthened by the fact that their star players, somewhat surprisingly, now look set to stay.

Cesc Fabregas has been matched at [6.0] to remain an Arsenal player once the transfer window closes; he's now available to back at just [1.48], whilst both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard look certain to commence the season in a Liverpool shirt under new boss Roy Hodgson.

The Anfield outfit - available to back at [15.0] - will undoubtedly perform better than they did last term but I still think they are the least likely of the leading contenders to win the title. Arsenal on the other hand can be backed at [7.6] to win the Premier League this season and with Fabregas and a fit Robin van Persie in their squad they will acquit themselves well. Whether or not the signings of striker Marouane Chamakh and defender Laurent Koscielny will enable the Gunners to close the gap on United and Chelsea remains to be seen but I certainly wouldn't rule it out.

But having picked the winner of the Premier League for the last three seasons at least (it wasn't difficult I know) I'm now prepared to take a chance on Manchester City ([6.4]) becoming the champions of England for the first time in over 40 years.

The squad Roberto Mancini (and partly Mark Hughes) has assembled at Eastlands looks capable of mounting a serious challenge for the title, and with plenty of funds available Mancini's squad-strengthening hasn't necessarily stopped yet. Of course, so many players brought together in such a short space of time is always going to be a worry, but City's title odds reflect this - if those doubts weren't there I believe City to have a squad of players easily on a par with what both Chelsea and United can boast.

Prediction

1. Man City
2. Man Utd
3. Chelsea

Comments (1)

1. liam | 04 August 2010

   a great read, mike. ctid.