Zlatan Ibrahimovic has backed Manchester City to win the Premier League title this season, snubbing defending champions Arsenal in the process.
Mikel Arteta's side ended their 22-year wait for a league title last season after three successive runners-up finishes. The Gunners spent heavily over the summer in a bid to retain their crown, with Christos Tzolis, Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes among those to join the champions.
City's perfect start
Arsenal looked imperious in their first four games of the season before being stunned by Brighton in a 3-0 away defeat before the international break. The defending champions sit second in the table, but it is Manchester City who lead the way, having made a perfect start under new boss Enzo Maresca.
Asked by ESPN who would win the Premier League, Ibrahimovic confidently said: '[Man] City.'
FA Cup prediction
City won both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup last season under Pep Guardiola, but Ibrahimovic reckons there will be a different name on the FA Cup trophy this season. Asked for his FA Cup prediction, the former Sweden striker said: 'Chelsea.'
Arsenal return from the international break next weekend to face Leeds United, who have made an impressive start to the new campaign.
City's legal battle
Meanwhile, City will have all the eyeballs on them as they take on Liverpool in their first match after they were found guilty of 114 financial charges brought against them by the Premier League. City maintain their innocence and have appealed the verdict, but could face a points deduction this season if the guilty verdict is upheld.
Speaking recently, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville suggested City's Abu Dhabi owners could also face being forced to sell the club.
'Manchester City will recover as a football club because Manchester City have been there longer than these owners, they'll be there long after them, and it's got an immense history,' Neville said on the latest episode of Stick To Football. 'Points deductions, fines, transfer bans, removing the titles – not giving them to others, just removing the titles – it's significant punishments. The only punishment that would be fair would be have huge consequences – the biggest consequence – would be removing the owners.
'That is the only consequence if I was Manchester City that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently got, that would be the one I'd be most concerned about.'
