Former England midfielder Danny Murphy has identified Arsenal as the clear favourites to win the Premier League, asserting that only Manchester City can prevent Mikel Arteta's side from retaining their title. The Gunners begin their defence of the trophy on Friday night against newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium, after ending a three-season streak of runners-up finishes to finally lift their first Premier League title since 2004 last term.
Murphy Backs Arsenal Despite Transfer Window Uncertainty
Speaking to BBC Sport, Murphy acknowledged that the outlook of the title race could shift before the summer transfer window closes, but he currently 'can't look past' Arsenal as champions. 'It is always hard to call it now, especially when it feels like all the top teams have a lot of business to do before the transfer window shuts, but I can't look past Arsenal as champions,' Murphy said.
Arsenal have enjoyed a strong transfer window, signing Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, while they are closing in on a £51 million deal for England defender Ezri Konsa. The club underlined their status as title favourites with a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Squad Continuity and Momentum Key Factors
Murphy pointed to the momentum and confidence gained from winning the Premier League, as well as the consistency of having the same manager and core group of players, as key reasons for his prediction. 'The main reasons being the momentum and confidence they will have from winning the Premier League already, but also the consistency of having the same manager and same players and just sprinkling even more quality on top,' he explained.
'They have not lost any of their best players and they have got a group who know what the manager expects from them and are completely on board with it. Mikel Arteta didn't need to spend half the pre-season drilling them with his methods like a new manager has to,' Murphy added.
Manchester City Arsenal's Biggest Rivals
While Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United have been suggested as potential challengers, Murphy believes Manchester City, under new manager Enzo Maresca, will be Arsenal's nearest rivals. 'I look at the firepower Man City have got and, whoever the manager is and whoever they are playing against, they are still going to be able to score a lot of goals and win a lot of games,' he said. 'I would still have them as being Arsenal's nearest rivals.'
Regarding his former club Liverpool, Murphy does not see Andoni Iraola's side mounting a genuine title challenge but expects them to secure a top-four finish. 'Liverpool might need a bit more time before they are challenging for the title again,' he noted. 'I am also not sure whether they think they have already got enough to replace Mohamed Salah by bringing in Victor Munoz and maybe giving Rio Ngumoha a bigger role, or whether they are really going to go for Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola, or someone like him, in the next few days.'
Murphy's Top-Four Prediction and Surprise Package
Murphy's top-four prediction places Arsenal first, followed by Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United. He also named newly-promoted Ipswich Town as his 'surprise package' for the season. 'I am not talking about the top four, but Ipswich might surprise a few people and, out of the ones who have come up, be the team who don't struggle,' he said. 'They have spent quite a lot, and brought in about a dozen players, like Sunderland did last year, and again they have brought in a similar type of player too, with a lot of athleticism. Their manager Gary O'Neil did all right at Wolves and Bournemouth and he will be as well-equipped as ever to know which games to go after, and when to dig in.'
