Sport

Will a Manchester club return to the top of the Premier League in 2021?

Between Manchester United’s 13 league titles and the four that Manchester City have picked up, the city has won more Premier League silverware than any other region. In fact, Manchester has come out on top in almost two-thirds of all seasons.

The Manc - 8th September 2020

Manchester has dominated the Premier League ever since it was founded in 1992.

Between Manchester United’s 13 league titles and the four that Manchester City have picked up, the city has won more Premier League silverware than any other region. In fact, Manchester has come out on top in almost two-thirds of all seasons. 

Sir Alex Ferguson once quipped that he was proud he’d “knocked Liverpool off their perch”, referring to the fact that the Red Devils, under his leadership ended the Kopite domination of English football. 

But in 2020, Liverpool finally ended its 30-year drought, winning the Premier League for the first time. 

While it’s too soon to say for certain which club will come out on top next season, many bookmakers have Liverpool and Manchester City as the favourites to win. Now, as you may already know, betting on football is incredibly popular, with some studies showing as many as three-quarters of all fans bet on the beautiful game at least sometimes. Many that do, often take advantage of free bet promotions to help get more value from their wagers. And with the start of the new season just days away, we’ll likely see more generous offers from bookmakers. Perhaps even some nice odds on both clubs to finish above Liverpool?

While Liverpool and Manchester City are the favourites, Manchester United are close behind. And with 38 games ahead of them, United certainly can’t be written off at this stage. 

Can Manchester Beat Liverpool?

The rivalry between the two cities is centuries old, stemming back to the time of the industrial revolution when the Manchester Ship Canal was opened, devaluing Liverpool’s importance as a port city. 

This rivalry is most often seen in football, and Liverpool’s victory in 2020 came as a disappointment to many United and City fans. That means that knocking Liverpool back off their perch once more is important to football fans right across the city. 

Doing it is going to be difficult though. Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have been dominant over the last season. The club went a whole year without a league loss, and for a while looked like they may go the entire season without losing a game. Beating this form is going to be difficult. 

Resurgent United?

This dominant performance came at a time when United were suffering their worst form for a long time. After his retirement, the club hasn’t managed to replicate its success under Ferguson.

They’ve begun to turn it around in recent months though, winning a lot more of their games in recent weeks and months. After Bruno Fernandes joined the team in the new year, United haven’t lost a league game. 

They may still have a little further to go though before they get back to their title-winning ways. 

Another Title for City?

Of the two Manchester clubs, City have been the stars of late. The team had been hoping to win a third consecutive title in 2020, but they were outclassed by Liverpool’s dominance. With its ban from the Champions League and eventually-successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport hanging over it, City underperformed.

With that pressure now gone, Pep Guardiola is free to focus on winning again. The club’s owners would really like a Champions League trophy, as City are yet to win any European silverware.

If they’re forced to prioritise, they’ll likely put their resources into becoming Champions of Europe, but there’s no reason they couldn’t do both. 

Can Liverpool Pull it Off?

As for Liverpool, the club has managed to retain the majority of its squad, with Klopp looking to make a few additions during the transfer window. It seems likely, therefore, that the reds will be able to keep up their consistent dominance going into next season. 

The club and its players are riding high off their victory in 2019 and this wave of positivity will give them an edge going into the new season. This is by no means a guarantee of another title though. 

One of the Manchester clubs certainly can beat Liverpool next season, but it won’t be easy for either of them. 

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