Heading into the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, the Premier League title race appears to be wide open. And that sets it up to be a fantastic few months to come!
In our view, there are four teams that still have realistic possibilities in the race for the title: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Arsenal. Each team will be seeking to keep their momentum going in the coming months.
This also means plenty of exciting and potentially do-or-die clashes involving lots of teams, so don’t forget to check our Premier League football tickets listings, featuring all the latest information about getting to those games.
But for now, let’s focus on each of the teams we feel are the main Premier League title contenders, looking at how they are faring in terms of results and performances, plus the opinions of pundits, players and managers.
Liverpool
Consistency is always key for any team with Premier League title ambitions, and that has been the main ingredient for Liverpool during the 2023/24 campaign.
After the disappointment of finishing in fifth position last season, everything seems to have clicked into place for Jurgen Klopp and his team, especially with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk also back in top form.
Indeed, it’s fair to say that Salah is confident about the title chances for his team. “We believe a lot. We need to work hard and express ourselves on the field. If we manage to do that and work hard then we can keep winning,” said the talented Egyptian, following a pulsating 4-2 triumph against Newcastle United at Anfield in January.
Still, there’s always the slip of doubt that if Liverpool suffer one or two injuries to key players, everything could quickly fall apart. Losing in-form Salah to international duty for the 2024 African Cup of Nations could be influential, meaning that players like Darwin Núnez or Cody Gakpo and the rest will need to contribute more goals.
In the meantime, provided Liverpool can cope without one of their most influential players for several games, they appear to have sufficient strength and depth to keep the momentum going.
Aston Villa
The biggest surprise package of the campaign so far, Aston Villa have surpassed all previous expectations. But is their level of performance this term really all that surprising? Not really, if we look at how they finished the previous campaign under Unai Emery, who has brought about an impressive transformation.
But some pundits continue to doubt Villa’s chances of not only challenging for the title, but also finishing in the top four. “If they were to finish fifth it would be an incredible result. If they finished above that it would be an absolute miracle,” suggested Gary Neville on Sky Sports, after they were beaten by Manchester United and held by Sheffield United in January.
“I think they will fade away and we’ll see them fight for that last Champions League space,” said Neville, who believes that Aston Villa could struggle in the second half of the campaign. Recently, they have struggled to break down opposing teams that are defending deeper, and showing them more respect.
Nevertheless, we think that Aston Villa will have plenty to say in the Premier League title race, and at the very least, should be capable of booking their passage to the Champions League in the top four.
Manchester City
As the reigning 2022/23 champions, and winners of the last three Premier League titles, Manchester City have yet to hit their top form by their own phenomenally high standards
This was particularly notable in September and October, when they were eliminated from the EFL cup by Newcastle United, then suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats against Wolves and Arsenal. November and early December also brought the rarity of four straight games without victory, drawing three and losing one.
Still, the Citizens remained on fire in the UEFA Champions League, winning all six games in the group stage, before jetting off to Saudi Arabia, where they won the FIFA Club World Cup after beating Brazilian outfit Fluminense 4-0 in the final. Now back to their bread and butter business, City can return focus to defending their Premier League crown.
Pep Guardiola has also started his mind games in anticipation, recently suggesting that “Liverpool are better” at the midway point of the season. That being said, he also appears highly confident that Man City will rediscover their Premier League momentum, feeling that increased competitiveness in the title race will push his own team to excel.
Discounting the chances of Manchester City would be a huge mistake. They boast the most strength and depth of any squad in the Premier League, which makes their bid for a fourth consecutive title all the more likely.
Arsenal
Last season Arsenal fans were able to witness the emergence of something special. At long last, the patience was being rewarded, as Mikel Arteta and his team began mounting a genuine bid for the Premier League title. Then it all fell apart during the second half of the campaign, as momentum waned and important defeats came, including two key losses against Man City.
Some feel that Arsenal bottled it in the end, although they did suffer a few notable injuries and had the second-youngest squad in the Premier League. Perhaps that lack of experience and resolve was the telling difference, although the overall experience was something which this talented squad could build upon.
But after another flying start to the campaign this season, once again, the Gunners appear to be stuttering, ending 2023 and starting the New Year with inconsistent form. When asked about the recent struggles, and if his team is still in the title race, Arteta was quite blunt. “If we don’t improve in the boxes, then no,” he admitted, referring to weakness in both defence and attack.
Unless they can address the current problems, either with positive results or some transfer spending, Arsenal seem likely to slip further away from the top, and could even find their chances of a top-four finish in jeopardy.
Who will be Premier League champions?
According to the bookies, Manchester City are the favourites to take the crown. If they did take the crown, they would seal an unprecedented four titles in a row. Not even the great Manchester United of the late 90s and early 2000s managed that.
And we think it’s hard to look anywhere else other than Man City. That said, they’ve not been in top form this season and we think Liverpool can mount a strong end to the season.
It’s all to play for and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
