Manchester City’s reign of dominance in the Premier League is like nothing previously seen in the 136-year history of England’s top division.
The Abu Dhabi-owned club is hunting a record-extending fifth straight title under Pep Guardiola and his squad of superstars when the season starts on Friday.
The world might be about to discover if it comes with a catch.
So much is hanging over City heading into what promises to be a tumultuous year for the serial champions, whatever happens on the field.
Can City hold off Arsenal for a third season in a row - and perhaps a Liverpool team under a new coach in its post-Jurgen Klopp era?
Will this be the final year in charge for Guardiola? The generational coach’s latest contract expires at the end of the season and he is wavering about whether to sign a new one.
Is this also the last year for Kevin De Bruyne, the playmaker who has bestridden the Premier League for nearly a decade?
Perhaps the big question, though, is this: Will City be punished after being hit with 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League’s financial rules in what could be one of the biggest potential scandals in English soccer?
The hearing, long-awaited by rival teams and soccer fans alike, will reportedly take place in late autumn - nearly two years after the welter of charges landed at the door of the Etihad Stadium. If found guilty, penalties for City could include a deduction of points or even expulsion from the Premier League.
City denies wrongdoing and it is a sensitive, complex case, not least because of the political implications it could have regarding relations between Britain and the UAE.
Away from it, City has just kept on winning, with its fourth successive title coming in May to surpass the three-in-a-rows by Huddersfield in the 1920s, Arsenal in the 1930s, Liverpool in the 1980s and Manchester United, twice, in Alex Ferguson’s long tenure.
How long this streak continues depends plenty on Guardiola, who is heading into his ninth season in charge and said over the summer he doesn’t rule out extending his contract.
“When we arrive at the competition, my energy rises again,” he said. “I’m fully excited for this season because I’m seeing things that I like. It’s a new challenge to break our own records … now we’ll see the ambition of ourselves.”
Guardiola’s presence will always give City the edge over its rivals, even if Arsenal looks in prime shape to end its wait for a league title stretching back to 2004. The Gunners have been City’s biggest threat the past two years - the title race went to the final day last season - and should be again this time round in Mikel Arteta’s fifth season in charge.
“We have to continue to do all the right things that we are doing and just make those small margins that are going to be able to win the tournaments,” Arteta said.
Then there’s Liverpool, embarking on a new era under Arne Slot, the successor to Klopp. That brings an element of the unknown to the Reds and likely a new playing style, too, with a high-energy approach set to make way for one which is more possession-based.
“Now we want to have all the ball and completely kill a team,” Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones said in preseason.
Slot, who arrives from Feyenoord in the Dutch league, is one of five new managerial appointments in the Premier League, along with Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton, Julen Lopetegui at West Ham and Steve Cooper at Leicester.
Erik ten Hag kept his position at Manchester United, however, in a surprising show of faith by a club undergoing upheaval in its leadership, which might need a few more years to effect the turnaround needed to make it a title challenger again. The league season opens at Old Trafford on Friday, when United hosts Fulham.
No one does upheaval quite like Chelsea, which not only has a new coach but also eight new players (and counting) - none of which are blockbuster signings - in a squad that is unrecognizable compared to two years ago after an unprecedented outlay by its American owners.
Chelsea’s spending of around 100 million pounds ($127 million) since the end of last season doesn’t reflect what’s typically happening elsewhere in the league, with transfer activity quieter than normal in what feels like a period of austerity as clubs look to meet the competition’s sterner financial rules. Liverpool hasn’t made a single signing yet, Manchester City has just one in Brazil winger Savio, and the only new face at Arsenal is Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.
That could change with three weeks left in the window. However, the majority of teams won’t look too different to last season, even if some of the figures in the dugout are.
Crucially, Guardiola is still there, though. And City - led by star striker Erling Haaland seeking a third straight Golden Boot award - is still the title favorite, even if there might be some clouds forming on the horizon.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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