The 2022/23 soccer campaign was a memorable one for followers of Manchester City. The world-famous, multi-award-winning team playing out of the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, won a historic treble. Pep Guardiola led his team of superstars to three major trophies in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Despite playing catch-up to a seemingly faultless Arsenal for much of the season, Man City stuck to their task. Experience had taught Pep contenders come and go, but consistency is critical to becoming champions, and his team was unwavering in their attack. They closed the gap and successfully defended the league trophy following a grandstand finish.
Just days later, Man City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final. Fans hope to see the team kick on from here and continue to topple records. The leading sports betting sites offer Man City as the pre-season gambling favorites to win a fourth EPL title on the bounce before bagging two UCL gongs in a row.
What’s next for Man City as they prepare for a crack at the World Club Cup? Will their goal of world dominance come at the price of domestic success? Arsenal will return for another bite of the cherry, stronger, fitter, and more experienced following last term’s near-miss. Keep reading as we highlight betting on the 2023/24 English Premier League season.
Cityzens’ success to continue
In the last five EPL seasons, we’ve seen Man City start as the betting favorites to win the league. They have been successful in four of the five, with Liverpool grabbing the spare during the COVID-effected 2019/20 season. Pep’s men are fresh from winning their third league crown in three years, and it would be challenging to make a strong case against that number growing to four.
It’s still early days as the dust settles on that emphatic win over Milan in Istanbul on Saturday, and what is next for the club remains to be seen. Everything they’ve done over the last decade was about winning the Champions League. They finished as runners-up behind Chelsea in their only other appearance in the final but were too good for the Serie A giants in Istanbul. They’ve achieved their life-long goal, but this is just the start.
Barring any off-field problems relating to Financial Fair Play rules, City is in a fantastic position to build. They have the funds to strengthen the squad further and can attract soccer’s prized assets after being crowned the kings of Europe. A World Cup is likely, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Man City clear up again next year.
Further success isn’t guaranteed, but traders working at all major betting apps are happy to stick with the champions. Are you happy to follow the experts, or would you prefer to take a chance on another with attractive odds? Let’s look at the dangers to Man City’s dominance of Planet Football.
Gunners are reloading
It was a case of so near yet so far for Arsenal as they came close to ending their Premier League trophy drought. The Gunners hit the front early and went from strength to strength, only to fall off down the home straight. Arsenal stumbled at the Emirates Stadium, and Arteta’s men must learn before reloading and returning stronger.
It’s difficult to pinpoint precisely where Arsenal can improve, as they were near-perfect for 95% of the season. But the players and coaching staff will know that’s not enough, and they lost to a team that wanted it more and dealt better with the pressure.
Blues will bounce back
We’ve just witnessed one of the worst seasons in Chelsea’s history. This ancient club has known its trials and has always bounced back. There’s nothing inevitable about the season ahead, but one thing is likely, the London club will spend millions of dollars during the summer transfer window.
Chelsea’s cash-rich owners want to drive their club back to the summit of the Premier League in England before regaining the European and world titles. Backers may wish to play the waiting game to see if Chelsea lands their transfer targets.