The 2022/23 Premier League season has been another exciting one for football fans in Manchester. This is certainly true if you support Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side. Although Arsenal looked to be on course to pull away from City at the top of the league earlier in the campaign, the side from Manchester have hung in there and never given up the chase.
Due to this, City supporters are starting to wonder if a thrilling climax to the season is on the cards and another EPL title on the way. But could this really happen or have the men from the Etihad left it too late?
What do the bookmakers think of their chances?
The Premier League is known as one of the top domestic competitions in world football, for good reason. While this can be down to the exciting matches it sees or the on-field drama it often generates, the race for the title is also something fun to keep tabs on each season.
This can be especially true if you like to bet on the Premier League and fancy backing one side to claim the trophy come season end. The 2022/23 campaign is no exception and is looks like the race for the title will go to the wire. But what do the bookies make of City’s chances of catching Arsenal?
At the moment, most online sportsbooks are giving the Manchester side odds of around 8/11 to pull it off. Interestingly, these odds now see City move ahead in the betting and past Arsenal as favourites. But have the bookies got it right? Can City really come back to take the EPL crown away from the Gunners?
Manchester City to take the title – why might it happen?
To begin with, you have arguably the best coach in the world leading the charge, and a group of players who redefine elite-level football. With players such as Grealish, Haaland, De Bruyne, Silva and Rodri in your camp, you always have a chance of winning the title.
It is also key to note that City are coming into peak form at the most crucial stage of the campaign. Recent weeks have seen them really click, and record results such as a 4-1 win against Liverpool and a 2-0 win over Newcastle. This bodes well for their remaining games and should see them playing well enough to pick up maximum points.
City know how to handle the pressure
As the Premier League season begins to near its climax, the pressure on teams at either end really ramps up. The sides at the top that stand the best chance of winning the title know how to handle this pressure and use it to fuel their performances. There is no doubt that the players at Manchester City can do this and have been in this sort of situation before. As a result, they may handle the high-pressure EPL run-in better than a side such as Arsenal.
You also have to say that the team’s remaining fixtures give them a fairly easy run-in and this could prove to give a boost to their title credentials. With sides like Leeds, West Ham and Everton to face, this could be their secret weapon to another Premier League crown.
Have City left it too late?
Sport in Manchester is huge and football clubs like City are the biggest attraction for residents. But what might stop the side from being champions again? Perhaps the biggest factor this season comes down to time – or the lack of it. Although they have picked up lately, failing to keep pace with Arsenal earlier in their campaign has left them six points adrift of the Gunners. Although winning their game in hand could cut this to three points, it may still mean there is not quite enough time to catch Arsenal at the top.
This leads to the other major danger to a City title win – this relies on Arsenal dropping points in their remaining games. Arsenal’s recent 2-2 draw with Liverpool, though, (in which Arteta’s side blew a 2-0 lead) might be a sign that the London side are running out of steam or are failing to handle the pressure of being league leaders.
Manchester City title win is not impossible
While the potential sanctions if City are found guilty of financial breaches may be on many fans’ minds, most will prefer to focus on the side hopefully coming back to win the EPL title this season. While a City title win relies on Arsenal ahead of them dropping points, this is not impossible and could see the blue half of the city enjoying another EPL victory.
