Best chance of dethroning City will come off the pitch

TO mark the start of the new season, Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, has this week completed a series of media rounds.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Speaking yesterday, Masters pointed out that last season was one of the best in the Premier League's rich history: there were "more goals than ever," he said, and "statistically speaking, the tightest-ever title race".

His point stands, but another, more cynical way of looking at last season is that it was actually wholly predictable.

Manchester City won a fourth straight title and, for the second campaign running, were pushed closest by Arsenal.

The three promoted clubs went back down; Manchester United and Newcastle fell; Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham rose; but, really, not a great deal changed from the previous year.

This term, City and Arsenal have comfortably the shortest odds for the title again, and two of the clubs relegated in 2022-23, Leicester and Southampton, have come straight back up, along with surprise package Ipswich.

While the entertainment is never in doubt, can anyone and anything fundamentally shake up the established hierarchy this season? The answer is yes, although perhaps not in the way that Masters MA Em FLYE would prefer.