Welcome To The Five Way Premier League Title Race

FourFourTwo

Strap in for a season of chaos as the Premier League power balance shifts up a gear

Transcript

00:00This could be it. The season where five teams, not two, are all seriously going for it.

00:06The year where one slip-up means you're not just dropping to second, but dropping out the title picture completely.

00:12It's early doors, but the signs are all there.

00:14Transfers are flying, managers are sharpening their systems,

00:18and the power balance at the top of the Premier League looks more chaotic than it's ever been.

00:23Papa Pinkus here with 4-4-2, and I'll be bringing you the main reason behind

00:26why each of these five teams could win the Premier League.

00:35Last season, Liverpool walked it.

00:38They weren't just good, they were relentless.

00:40Klopp might be gone, but the transition has been anything but painful.

00:44Slott has evolved them into a side that's almost unplayable when they're on it,

00:48and now they've strengthened.

00:50Not tweaked, strengthened.

00:52And to be honest, it's terrifying.

00:54Florian Wurtz coming in is a bit of a problem.

00:57You don't just sign someone like that unless you're preparing to dominate the ball.

01:00We know what he's about.

01:01He brings invention, control, and creativity into pockets that Liverpool lacked when things got quite tight.

01:07But the most fascinating signing isn't Wurtz.

01:10It's Ugo Eketike.

01:11He's had a strange route to Anfield, from Rems to PSG, where minutes were quite limited,

01:16then Frankfurt, where everything finally clicked.

01:19Last season, he put up 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

01:24And it wasn't just the numbers.

01:26He led the Bundesliga for total shots, played up front on his own and in a two,

01:30and showed he can adapt, press, link, play, and create.

01:34He's tall, fast, direct, but he's also unselfish.

01:38Think Isak with a bit of Benzema in him.

01:41If he sharpens his finishing, he could well and truly explode.

01:45And on the flanks, the frimpong signing gives Liverpool something they've lacked since probably prime Trent.

01:51Relentless threat from deep.

01:53He overlaps.

01:53He drives past people.

01:55One of the best 1v1 runners in Europe.

01:58He adds a vertical punch that will completely change how Liverpool stretch teams.

02:03On the other side, Milos Kerkhez.

02:05This is an insane squad.

02:07Put it all together, and Liverpool look more dynamic than they did even during their Champions League winning peak.

02:13The depth is a joke.

02:14The attacking options are vast.

02:16They won the league, but they're very clearly not done.

02:20Where could it go wrong, though?

02:22Look, Wurtz is brilliant.

02:24But he's used to buy Leverkusen's slower tempo and total control.

02:28The Prem is chaos.

02:30If he doesn't adapt, Liverpool's midfield could end up too lightweight, too slow in transition.

02:36And then there's the forward line.

02:37Eketike has had one breakout season.

02:40That's it.

02:40If he flops or takes time to adjust, the goals dry up.

02:44Salah's ageing.

02:45Diaz might not even be a Liverpool player very soon.

02:48And Gatpo's a tad inconsistent.

02:50Sort of hinges on new pieces clicking immediately.

02:53If they don't, it could go from dynamic to dysfunctional very quickly.

02:57Arsenal.

02:58No more excuses.

03:04No more next season.

03:06No more just a striker away.

03:09Because they finally went out and did it.

03:11Victor Giocarez is here.

03:13The one thing Arsenal fans, and let's be real, everyone else said they needed.

03:18A proper number nine.

03:19Physical.

03:20Direct.

03:21Ruthless.

03:21This isn't some flashy panic buy.

03:24This is a certified killer who's been destroying defenders across Europe.

03:28He finishes what Arsenal have been building for the past three to four years.

03:33And now there's pressure.

03:35Real pressure.

03:36Because for the first time, there's nothing left to blame.

03:39The defence was already solid.

03:40In fact, better than Liverpool's last season.

03:43But Liverpool scored 17 more goals.

03:45And that's the gap they had to close.

03:47And Giocarez?

03:48That's how they do it.

03:49But that's not all.

03:50Zubimendi adds a bit of buy and Spanish elegance to that midfield.

03:54And Eze?

03:55If that deal goes through, the expectations will be through the roof.

03:59Imagine trying to contain Saka and Eze cutting inside.

04:03Imagine dealing with Odegaard threading passes behind your line while Giocarez hunts you down.

04:08Jesus Christ.

04:09This is Arteta's moment.

04:11Everything he's built, all the near misses, all the what-ifs, it's all been building to this season.

04:17Now it's silverware or nothing.

04:19And Arsenal fans will not accept a runner-up medal again.

04:23It's not a fairytale project anymore.

04:25This is business.

04:27And Arsenal finally look ready to finish the job.

04:30These players and staff have to soak in the pressure.

04:33Embrace it.

04:34Thrive off of it.

04:35Because the pressure really is there.

04:37They go the other way.

04:38Things could go from bad to worse.

04:40They have to get it right from day one.

04:43Manchester City.

04:48Now, they didn't fall apart last season.

04:50But by their own standards, they under-delivered big time.

04:54A third-place finish.

04:55An early Champions League exit.

04:56And a run in where they never truly looked like themselves.

05:00For most clubs, that's still a great year.

05:02But for City, it was a reminder that even the machine can stall.

05:06The sharpness wasn't really there.

05:08The inevitability was gone.

05:10And for the first time, Pep looked beatable.

05:14The truth is, for the first time in a very long flipping time,

05:17Manchester City football club are not favourites to win the Premier League.

05:21They've got a point to prove.

05:23Liverpool have momentum.

05:24Arsenal seemingly making all the right moves.

05:27Chelsea are champions of the world.

05:29And City have gone a little bit under the radar.

05:32Something that almost never happens under Pep Guardiola.

05:35And that makes them dangerous.

05:36This summer, there's been quiet, but quite efficient.

05:40Tiziani Rinders is a perfect fit.

05:42Technical, calm under pressure.

05:45And used to playing in systems that demand control.

05:48Ryan Aitnori adds depth and flexibility on the left.

05:51It gives Pep more balance in games where Guardiola's been a bit too conservative.

05:56Cherky, as we know, is a little bit raw.

05:58But if anyone can coach raw talent into something monstrous,

06:02it is, of course, Pep Guardiola.

06:04By the way, he's probably the player I'm most excited to watch.

06:08Think he'll be like a bit of a Terrat or Ben Arfa.

06:11Boo foul, if you will, that we've been missing for years in the Prem.

06:15But forget the tactics for a second.

06:17This is about mentality.

06:19City don't like being overlooked.

06:20They don't like being second best.

06:22And when they're doubted, even slightly, they respond in one way only.

06:27Domination.

06:28It's not the same old City.

06:29It might be something worse.

06:31A focused one.

06:33Only thing I could think of that could well and truly be a bit of a reality check for City

06:37is KDB's absence.

06:39Are they going to realise just how important his presence was?

06:42Not just on the pitch, but on the training ground.

06:45On the coach.

06:46In the dressing room.

06:47Of course they managed to succeed without him in the past.

06:50But not having him present at all is a completely different story.

06:54He is a god in Manchester.

06:57And now he's gone.

06:58Will they feel the weight of his absence?

07:00We'll soon see.

07:01Chelsea!

07:02Chelsea!

07:03Chelsea!

07:04Chelsea!

07:05Chelsea are back.

07:06Not fully polished.

07:07Not perfect.

07:08But they're no longer the mess that they've been for the past three seasons.

07:11Let's be honest.

07:12Something's clicked.

07:14And you could feel it during the Club World Cup.

07:16Cole Palmer has taken the keys.

07:18Everything runs through him now.

07:20His composure is ridiculous.

07:22His decision-making, weight of pass.

07:25It's out of this world.

07:26João Pedro's pressing, movement and link-up play adds bite to their front line.

07:31You look at those two and you realise this isn't just about development now.

07:35It's about results.

07:37And the rest of the team has caught up too.

07:39Defensively, they're no longer a meme.

07:41The back line looks composed.

07:42There's structure.

07:44Not just frantic last-ditch recovery tackles.

07:47Midfield too has finally settled.

07:49Enzo's dictating tempo instead of being stretched thin.

07:53And Caicedo looks more like the absolute destroyer that they paid so much for.

07:58There's a rhythm to their play that just wasn't there last year.

08:01They build with intent.

08:02They press with purpose.

08:04Even in games where they don't dominate possession, they stay in control mentally and tactically.

08:09And a huge credit to Maresca and his team for making that happen.

08:13But here's the thing.

08:14Managing this squad might be even harder than building it.

08:17Like we mentioned in our Chelsea video a few weeks ago, this is a huge group of players.

08:22Loads of talent, yes.

08:24But also loads of egos, expectations and very real questions about minutes.

08:30Squad harmony is very fragile.

08:32If results dip and the rotation starts to feel a bit guessworky, things can unravel very quickly.

08:38Players lose trust.

08:39The system gets a bit shaky.

08:41The narrative flips from depth is a strength to nobody knows their role.

08:46This Chelsea project does look like it's working.

08:48But with the many moving parts keeping it all together, might be Maresca's toughest job.

08:53Let me say this clearly.

08:59Do not sleep on Newcastle United.

09:02No one's putting them top of the list.

09:04But that's exactly why you shouldn't take your eyes off them.

09:06If they keep hold of Isak, they are a serious problem.

09:10And I mean that.

09:11The sheer fact they have arguably the most technically gifted number nine on the planet.

09:15And they're building around him properly now.

09:18Is in my opinion not being talked about enough.

09:20Eddie Howe has very quietly assembled a world-class football team.

09:25I mean some of the names in their squad.

09:27Isak, Tonali, Bruno, Gordon, Joe Linton, Ilanga now of course.

09:32Bachman, Libra Mento.

09:34I could go on.

09:35They've got a ridiculous team accompanied by what I think is one of the hardest places to go in football.

09:41St James' Park.

09:42And if Newcastle show early signs of dominance, those Geordies will quickly catch on.

09:47And St James' Park will be without question.

09:50The last place any Premier League team wants to visit if it isn't already.

09:54One thing I think could stand in their way is the Champions League fixture congestion.

09:59We saw a glimpse of how it can affect their momentum in the league a couple of years ago.

10:03And I do struggle to see a world where they flourish in both competitions.

10:06Just got to hope that players can keep fit and have a healthy, smooth running rotational system in place.

10:13But I've just got a funny feeling that we're going to see Eddie Howe's face on a Sky Sports title race graphic come January.

10:21Am I being silly?

10:22Am I talking facts?

10:23Let us know in the comments below who you think will be genuine title contenders come next season.

10:29Thanks for watching.

10:31Till next week.

10:32God bless.

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