Despite many sports fans in America regularly tuning in to the basketball and passionately following the NFL, the English Premier League’s appeal is growing. In fact, with the World Cup on the horizon, soccer is going to win over even more fans in the coming years. The Premier League tends to hog the limelight at the moment, though, with many American soccer fans following a top-flight team.
Widely regarded as the best domestic league on the planet, the Premier League features some of the biggest and most historical clubs around. Sure, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also worth watching, but the competitive nature of English football’s finest competition makes it the most enticing offering of them all for many fans of the beautiful game. This season, in particular, the title race is looking like it could go down to the wire.
Liverpool are in the driving seat
Although Liverpool are currently the team to beat, the Reds haven’t had too many injuries to contend with and the usual drop in form that many sides experience throughout an average season. With that potentially to come in 2025, there are numerous teams that could pounce should Arne Slot’s side slip up. As of today, though, fans who indulge in football betting are backing the Reds for the title, while fantasy football managers are loading up on Liverpool’s assets, such as Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, and Virgil van Dijk.
With some big fixtures on the horizon, though, and a number of contenders likely to go on a run that could put Liverpool under some serious pressure, the job is far from complete for the FSG-owned behemoth. In fact, as numerous teams have experienced before, the competitive nature of the Premier League could see Liverpool collapse, especially when factoring in some of the huge encounters Premier League fans have to look forward to in the coming months.
Make no mistake about it, though, Liverpool are the team to see off as things currently stand. With a number of clubs chasing them, the Reds have managed to build up some notable momentum under their new Dutch manager. The competition is far from over, though.
Arsenal have the quality needed to challenge
Despite stuttering at times, Arsenal have the undoubted quality required to mount a serious title charge. The Gunners will have Bukayo Saka back soon for a crucial set of fixtures, while they also boast an abundance of quality in key areas of the pitch, be it William Saliba and Gabriel’s partnership in central defense, Kai Havertz’s ability to chip in with some crucial match-winning goals, or Martin Ødegaard’s creative output that makes him one of the finest players to watch in his position.
The Gunners are also destructive from set pieces, with their set piece coach, Nicolas Jover, managing to create a dangerous unit that can feast on any perfect deliveries. While some teams and managers have frowned upon Arsenal’s set-piece proficiency, it’s a weapon many modern-day teams don’t possess. It, therefore, enables the Gunners to win ugly when they aren’t playing well while also tormenting the best sides with their sheer size when a set piece does come around.
With some new recruits also expected to come through the door at the Emirates, Arsenal will, therefore, surely be in the mix come the end of the season. Mikel Arteta’s troops have come close previously, and while Liverpool might be tough to stop, the Gunners are more than capable of overtaking them should the Reds find themselves in a tough spot in the coming months.
Nottingham Forest and Chelsea are also up there
Two clubs most fans and pundits alike didn’t consider mentioning when the various pre-season title predictions were being shared, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, are also waiting in the wings should Liverpool slip up. Forest’s rise is particularly special, with Nuno Espírito Santo taking them from relegation contenders to a Premier League title tilt in a matter of months. Forest are well organised, they’re devastating on the counter attack, and they have a serious goal threat thanks to players like Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White. Throw in their defensive solidity and their all-round unity, and they’re a tough nut to crack. A side no team likes to play against, Nottingham Forest could easily turn out to be this season’s Leicester City.
Chelsea are another surprise package in with a shout of winning the world’s biggest domestic competition. Against all the odds, Enzo Maresca has come in and instilled a winning mentality to a set of players many felt weren’t good enough. The Blues’ transfer approach also divides opinion, with their strategy of buying young players for cheap and selling them on for big bucks receiving a lot of criticism in the summer leading up to the new campaign. Those critics have been silenced, though, as the Blues appear to be a well-oiled machine with an abundance of quality to rely on. Cole Palmer is the undoubted star of the show, although Nicolas Jackson’s goal threat is another strength of theirs and Moisés Caicedo is capable of coming out on top in any midfield battle.
While both Forest and Chelsea would probably be happy with a Champions League spot come the end of the season, a title win isn’t out of the question. Stranger things have certainly happened in football.
Manchester City are in with an outside chance
Yet another contender to consider is undoubtedly Manchester City, a team that usually kicks on after January and is filled with world-class operators who are impossible to ignore. Although a leaky defense and a lack of goals hindered their title prospects in 2024, the new year has seen City show signs that they could be back. While there is a big gap to close, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne in their squad, it’s almost impossible to write Pep Guardiola’s side off.
