Gary Lineker believes Arsenal are clear favourites to win the Premier League and has predicted only one team can stop the Gunners from retaining their title. Mikel Arteta's side began their title defence with a convincing 3-0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates last Friday.
Arsenal's strong transfer window
The Gunners have enjoyed another strong transfer window, signing Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis while adding further depth in defence after a £51million deal for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa. A potential blockbuster deal for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez remains on the cards as Arsenal look to add even more firepower to their attacking ranks before the transfer deadline.
Regardless, Lineker believes that the defending champions are the clear favourites to win the league again, as he backed Arteta's side to retain the title with ease.
'Even though some people say it's easier to win your first title than retain it, I disagree,' he said on The Rest Is Football podcast. 'I think they'll retain it. I think not only the fact they've added to where they were last season when they won the league and added well, but I also think that pretty much all the big teams around them are in transition. So I'm actually going to go Arsenal by at least 10 points.'
Title challengers in transition
It has been a summer of change for many of Arsenal's potential title challengers, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all appointing new managers over the off-season. Lineker believes that Xabi Alonso's Blues are the only team that could run Arsenal close this season.
'I'm not sure it's a hot take, but I think Chelsea might finish second,' he insisted. 'I've got the feeling that Xabi Alonso has got something about him. If the club as a whole doesn't completely implode, which is a possibility, I think he'll do well with them. I think he's good. I think they have got, obviously, a lot of talent there. If you go Rogers and Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro up front, that is a good front three.'
Enzo Maresca and Andoni Iraola are both new to the dugout at City and Liverpool, but Lineker can't envisage either being in the title conversation this season. 'City are definitely in transition mode in more ways than one and probably more than anyone,' he said. 'So, anything could happen this season; I still see them making the Champions League, but I don't envisage them being in the title race.'
On the Reds, he added: 'Obviously a new manager has come in, he's got to change the style and has actually said himself that he's not sure they're quite ready yet for what I want, so it might take a bit of time and one or two signings. They've obviously lost a couple of experienced players, so I think they'll just make Champions League football.'
Manchester United's prospects
Similarly, Lineker finds it hard to picture Manchester United mounting a title challenge given their added fixture load upon returning to the Champions League. 'The big question is, can Michael Carrick continue with how well he was doing last season, given the fact that this time they have Champions League football as well?' he mused. 'I think the squad looks a tad light to compete on all fronts at present, so I think they are fourth or fifth with Liverpool.'
