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Who are the 2021/22 Premier League title contenders?
Manchester City dominated the 2020/21 Premier League season, finishing 12 points above the second-placed Manchester United and 17 points above previous titleholders Liverpool back in third. But will those teams be able to close the gap on the Cityzens next season? Or will Pep Guardiola’s men run away with the league again? Let’s take a deeper look at the reigning champions’ chances as well as the potential competitors for the 2021/22 Premier League season.
2021/22 Premier League title contenders
Manchester City
Firstly, the favourites. Manchester City are the best team in the league and they are fully capable of keeping the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium next year. Guardiola has created, and purchased, a squad that should win any competition they play in – including the Champions League.
The Cityzens are brilliant in every department and their squad depth is ludicrous, the players that have had to succumb to a seat on the City bench would start week in, week out for most Prem sides. Guardiola’s men are all incredibly comfortable on the ball and keep possession with ease, they know when to pile the pressure onto teams and play with intensity, but also drop off and wait for the gaps to open up naturally.
Midfielders like Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden are some of the best creators in the world and they can open up a defence in the blink of an eye, and wingers Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez are always eager to get in behind which provides plenty of passing options.
City’s main issue in the 2021/22 Premier League season will be their lack of a striker. Gabriel Jesus is a good frontman but is far too inconsistent and usually more influential coming off the bench, and 18-year-old Liam Delap is not experienced enough to be relied upon just yet. If Guardiola can bring in a high-profile striker, such as Harry Kane, they could be unstoppable.
Even if Liverpool, Chelsea and United recruit well then they will still be playing catchup. Even though he made a major mistake in the Champions League final by not starting Fernandinho, Guardiola is a top manager and should guide City to a very successful 2021/22 Premier League campaign.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United look more organised both in attack and defence than they have for years. They have talented individuals in most positions and have an established system that protects their back four well but also enables the more direct players to push on. But are they capable of winning the league?
Manchester United have a squad that would have been capable of winning the league in years gone by but they are unlucky that this upcoming campaign could be one of the most competitive ever. They have two quality goalkeepers, their full-backs are two of the best in the league and their attacking players are also some of the best. They should have no problems scoring goals, that’s for sure.
However, their issues could come in the heart of the team in the shape of the two-man pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay who aren’t title-winning quality. The pair are an integral part of Solskjaer’s system as they protect the sometimes-shaky central defenders but they are quite a fragile partnership and don’t provide much more than numbers in the middle. If they can improve upon that pair, or potentially drop Paul Pogba deeper now that Ed Woodward looks to have struck up a deal with Dortmund for Jadon Sancho, then they could really put the pressure on rivals City.
If United improve upon their more defensive-minded midfielders then they should be up there at the end of the season. But City are certainly the better team in Manchester at the moment and have a lot more firepower in all departments and off the bench, it would take a massive stroke of luck to finish above them in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.
Liverpool
Due to Virgil van Dijk’s injury, Liverpool fans will tell you to draw a line through their most recent season. But will we listen? No. Last season highlighted two things: they massively lack strength in depth in plenty of positions but when fully fit, they are one of the best in the league.
The bulk of their squad was part of the machine that won the league in 2019/20 with 99 points, so they are clearly a capable bunch. Jurgen Klopp has implemented a system at Anfield that really brings out the best in his players; it gives full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold licence to roam forward, allows the midfielders to sit deep and simply move the ball forwards rather than being the difference makers, and also allows the attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to drift to wherever required to create chances. Van Dijk gives confidence to the team and his presence alone often brings out the best in teammates.
If they remain largely injury-free, Liverpool will challenge for the 2021/22 Premier League title. But they need to recruit as well. Diogo Jota has provided cover for the attackers and could displace Firmino if he has a successful Euro 2020 tournament but another attacker off the bench wouldn’t go a miss. The arrival of Ibrahima Konate will be a huge addition to the squad and should strengthen their defence, and Jordan Henderson returning to fitness will help in that regard too. They have all the tools to regain the title and should capitalise on any slip up made by City.
Chelsea
The appointment of Thomas Tuchel has seen Chelsea improve markedly and the board will be keen to see that sort of progression again in the upcoming campaign. The Blues are expected to be quite active in the summer transfer window, with fresh rumours of incomings and outgoings surfacing almost every other day. But even with their current squad, can they push for the 2021/22 Premier League title?
The 3-4-3 system that Tuchel has implemented at Stamford Bridge has had a similar effect to that of when Antonio Conte brought it in a few seasons ago. The overcrowding of wide areas, created with the two wide men and either a central midfielder/striker, has allowed Chelsea to create plenty of chances from the wing and if they bring in a quality target man this summer, as rumoured, then he should flourish.
The English wing-backs of Ben Chilwell and Reece James are both powerful, fast and direct in their play, and the defensive partnership of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, who has been tipped by some for the Ballon d’Or, provides stability for when they roam forward. If Tuchel can get Timo Werner in top form next season then he will come good, and a striker signing would take a lot of the weight off of his shoulders.
Manchester City and Chelsea met four times last season, and the London club came out on top of three of those occasions so one could argue they are the better the team. But throughout a 38-game season, they have failed to show that thus far. Chelsea are fully capable of mounting a strong title charge next season and they have the right manager to do so, but without a clinical finisher, it is hard to see them finishing above City.
Arguably the most unlikely team of those spoken about to win the 2021/22 Premier League title, Leicester City aren’t without a chance and deserve a mention. They won the FA Cup and finished fifth in the league last season, missing out on Champions League football in their last match. But do they have the firepower to replicate their 5,000/1 2015/16 success?
Man-for-man, the current Foxes squad is better than the one which won the title. Their defence is very solid and Wesley Fofana and James Justin both look like great prospects, their midfield is one of the best in the league and the ageing Jamie Vardy is still a prolific number nine. So, when put like that, they really should be in with a chance.
Leicester now need a cutting-edge player to solidify themselves as a top-four team, as well as better depth and quality to come off the bench. Now that Vardy is coming to the end of his career, there is a huge reliance on Kelechi Iheanacho to be the man to take over and be their main goalscorer, but is he up to that? You really can’t be too sure, it depends if his brilliant form towards the end of last season was natural ability shining through or simply a purple patch. And as for game-changers off of the bench, Ayoze Perez and Dennis Praet aren’t players that will win you games.
Leicester are capable of having a strong season and being competitive in cup competitions, but winning the league is a whole different challenge and they don’t look up to it. Their squad will be stretched by Europa League fixtures and they will struggle to keep star players fully fit for both competitions.
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