The Premier League title race does not truly kick in until the spring, but the talk about the top contenders will rage on from start to finish. Most punters put down three clubs as the realistic challengers by the end of the transfer window, and a compelling case can be constructed for each.
-
Arsenal: stability and solidity
Arsenal have been in contention for the Premier League crown for the last three years, finishing second to Man City twice and Liverpool once. So, the team and fans alike will know not to get too far ahead of themselves, but there is contentment in the camp at sitting at the top of the table for now.
The Gunners have grown into the most outstanding defensive unit in the English top tier. David Raya has been the recipient of the Golden Glove in the last two years for an outfit with the best defensive record in the division. Yet, that solidity has not been enough to get over the line in recent times.
Especially last year, the dependence on Bukayo Saka for spark in the final third was a significant flaw. The right winger suffered a Grade 3 hamstring tear in December, and within weeks, the team were too far off the pace in the Premier League as well as out of both domestic cup competitions.
But in another sense, their stability has strengthened even further since the summer. With eight incomings, including the arrivals of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, and Noni Madueke, the squad seems much more resistant to the stresses and strains of the schedule that can cause harm to regulars.
The right sided unit no longer needs to rely on the same trio. Eze and Ethan Nwaneri have been able deputies for Martin Ødegaard, Madueke has shown the critics that he can be an able backup for Saka on the right wing, and Jurrien Timber has jumped Ben White as the first choice right back.
Christian Mosquera has mostly filled in without a fault for William Saliba, while Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have made key contributions as super subs for the Gunners.
This has all happened while the defence has stayed solid, and it could be enough to engineer an outcome six years in the making for Mikel Arteta and 22 years in waiting for the fanbase.
-
Man City: the outstanding number nine
Not every elite team relies on a high scoring central forward to carry the burden of output, but there is no doubt about who the most standout attacker is in the Premier League at this present moment.
Man City started the season shakily after a trophyless campaign that collapsed at the end of 2024. They took time to get going against Wolves on opening matchday before the team suffered their customary loss to Tottenham and were defeated 2-1 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Even still, the top scorer in the division was Erling Haaland, who had notched three strikes in three appearances. And since the September international break, he has been an exemplary figurehead.
He scored twice against Man United in the derby in a 3-0 victory, broke away to devastating effect against Arsenal in a hard fought 1-1 draw, scored twice in a 5-1 rout of Burnley and beat up Brentford to be the difference maker with the only goal at the Gtech Community Stadium.
To top it off, Haaland celebrated his 50th Champions League goal in his career on his 49th appearance in the competition against Napoli and got a brace against Monaco the next matchday in a 2-2 draw.
In the last three and a half weeks, he has received able backup from two teammates. Phil Foden opened the scoring against the Red Devils, assisted Haaland against Napoli, and has looked much more like his best self. In the pocket behind the big Norwegian, he can create the moments of magic that spearheaded a successful bid to become PFA Player of the Year in 2024.
Another impressive accomplice has been Jeremy Doku. He got two assists against Man United, scored against Napoli, and he was integral to two against Burnley. The Belgian is a persistent, dynamic threat, especially in a footrace over five yards, and coupled with more output, he is a massive danger.
The return of Rodri has not been faultless, and the scars of last season have not fully healed. But with one pillar of this team in such exceptional form, the Citizens can keep plugging away at last year’s top two.
-
Liverpool: the highest ceiling?
After a significant summer of spending, Liverpool launched into their defence of the Premier Leaguetitle with a flawless start. They took 15 points from their first five fixtures, and a neat narrative of evolution was building. But the wheels have fallen off in the last fortnight.
First came a last gasp 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace in a clash that could have been wrapped up in favour of the Eagles by the end of the first half. Then came a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League, and last weekend, there was another injury time goal conceded as Chelsea claimed a win.
These three results have forced the club to confront what was always there. Perhaps there can too be much of a good thing: since preseason, the team have been adapting to key absences and incomings.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had an instinctive relationship with Mo Salah and was a key progressive player in the system. Jeremie Frimpong neither replicates those traits, nor significantly solidifies the defence, leaving Dominik Szoboszlai and Conor Bradley to share minutes with him at right back.
The same could be said about Milos Kerkez, who has job shared with Andy Robertson at left back.
Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch gave solid foundations with work rate, defensive cover, and enough on-ball production to facilitate the duo on the right flank. Now with the arrival of Florian Wirtz and a string of absences, there has been a lot of chopping and changing.
Salah has not been in the same stellar form of last season, while Hugo Ekitike, who exploded out of the blocks in August, has to contend with the presence of Alexander Isak for minutes in the attack.
Yet, it was not that long ago that many were starry eyed about the potential of playing with a top ten, two star strikers, the PFA Player of the Year, a Dutch midfielder who goes from strength to strength, and two top central defenders backed up with an elite shot stopper. Those pieces are still all present.
And for all the concerns at the start of the season, the team still did enough to win five on the bounce. That is a streak that both Arsenal and Man City could not equal until at least November.
Liverpool are in need of some reconstruction, and Arne Slot does not have a simple job on his hands as the post-Jurgen Klopp era truly commences. However, if he gets the balance right between all the talent that is at his disposal, the Reds could approach a level that their rivals will not be able to match.
