De Bruyne Foresees 3 Teams Joining Man City and LFC in Title Battle
Once again, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola look set to push each other all the way in a title race between now and May, with their respective sides taking up the top two spots in the table. The Reds pushed Man City to the final day of the season in both 2018/19 and 2021/22, as well as triumphing at the expense of the Citizens at record-breaking speed in 2019/20.
However, this time around, Kevin De Bruyne doesn’t envisage it being quite so straightforward. The talented midfielder believes that three teams are capable of keeping pace with Liverpool and Man City in the race to lift the 2023/24 Premier League title. Arsenal, currently sitting level on points with Man City in second spot, is unsurprisingly tipped by De Bruyne to last the distance.
In an interview with the Standard, De Bruyne stated, “There are so many teams there. Liverpool and Arsenal are there with us. But I’d say even [Aston] Villa and Tottenham are close. We will be fighting with five for the moment. There’s a little pressure anyway to do well, but there’s no point looking at what’s going to happen in two months. We need to win games now and try to enjoy it. We know what we need to do. The pressure is always there, but we’re ready to fight again until the end.”
Liverpool remains in the driving seat despite a disappointing defeat at the Emirates over the weekend. They are two points ahead of both Man City and Arsenal. Man City, however, has a game in hand on the Reds. The clash between the two teams on March 10 at Anfield promises to be a massive game that could have significant implications on the title race.
Aston Villa has been the surprise package of the 2023/24 season. They are currently just three points behind Man City on 46 points. Tottenham, managed by Ange Postecoglou, sits a further two points behind on 44 points. These two teams are also considered as strong contenders to challenge for the title.
The Premier League title race is wide open at the top, but Liverpool and Man City have repeatedly shown themselves to be the two most capable of surviving the rigours of a full 38-game campaign. While De Bruyne acknowledges the competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Tottenham, it remains to be seen if any of these teams can truly challenge the dominance of Klopp and Guardiola’s sides. As the season progresses, fans will eagerly watch to see if anyone can break the stronghold that Liverpool and Man City have on the title race.