Unquestionably, Manchester City enter the 2022/23 Premier League campaign as heavy favourites. According to Vegas Insider, Manchester City open as betting favorites to win the league at -175. Other opinions and predictions have the Citizens winning a fifth Premier League in the last six attempts.
An already stacked team had a hole in their lineup a season ago. City’s expensively assembled squad lost a world-class striker.
Erling Haaland now enters the fray at the Etihad to make Manchester City look too strong for their rivals, once again. Furthermore, it looks like City will be in this position for the next decade or more with ample young talent.
However, some key recent departures could damage that relatively comfortable position in English football. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus set off for league rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively. Now, Bernardo Silva is rumored to be dating Barcelona emerging as the main suitor. So it seems that City are going through a kind of transition.
Consequently, the 2022/23 title race should be much closer than people are predicting. All this despite the arrival of Haaland in Manchester.
Manchester City is ‘renewed’ in 2022/23
Haaland is a super talent. His performance at Borussia Dortmund established him as one of the best finishers in world football. That said, it will be a challenge to recreate his Bundesliga goals per game tally in the English Premier League. Even then, it may not be enough to secure City the title for the third year in a row.
The priority this season is the UEFA Champions League. Pep Guardiola and the owners of Manchester City seek to end the curse imposed on them by former player Yaya Touré. Because of this, Erling Haaland’s playing time faces scrutiny to ensure he is fit for the biggest games, particularly later in the season. With that reasoning, expect Haaland to start a maximum of 30 Premier League games. Given his current and outrageous goal scoring rate, that works out to around 30 league goals.
On paper, that’s a title-winning loot. However, stripping out the 29 goals from Sterling, Jesus and Silva, the math isn’t so pretty to look at. Furthermore, those three combined for 19 assists in the Premier League last season alone. During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland was an absolute goalscorer. His 18 assists in two and a half league seasons are not bad at all, especially considering his goalscoring account. However, he may not be a catalyst for opportunities like some of the former City players.
Dependence on other players
Yes, Haaland’s goals balance this loss. But Pep now depends on less reliable options. Jack Grealish underperformed after his big-money move to Manchester. Riyad Mahrez shows flashes of greatness but can be somewhat inconsistent. So there is considerable potential regarding Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez. However, they now face the brunt of the pressure without the three aforementioned options. Still, Bernardo Silva’s departure is just a rumor at the moment.
Fortunately for City, Liverpool, the clearest rival for the title, is in a similar situation. Sadio Mané is leaving for Bayern Munich, and Darwin Nunez surely needs time to adjust to the Premier League game and Jurgen Klopp’s system. Few would argue that Liverpool and City are favorites to win the league.
However, both enter the season in something of a rebuild. The talk of City running away with the title is a bit premature. Then, with Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal strengthening, we could find this season to be the most exciting title race we’ve had in years.
PHOTO: Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images
