Prior to the new 2022/23 season beginning, it was considered by most to be a two-horse race. Manchester City and Liverpool battled it out for the top-flight title last season and it came down to the final match of the campaign for the winner to be decided. However, we’re only two games into the new season and the bookies have slashed the odds on the current champions to retain their title following a dismal start by their Merseyside rivals.
Newly-promoted Fulham were one of the bookies’ favourites to drop straight back down into the Championship but the London club has moved its worth already by taking a point away from their opening match against Liverpool and outplaying Klopp’s side for much of the game. Nevertheless, Liverpool have the quality to bounce back from defeats and the following week they faced another London club, Crystal Palace, this time at Anfield. However, despite being on top, Palace took the lead and things got worse for Klopp’s side when new £85m signing Darwin Núñez was dismissed for headbutting Palace defender Joachim Andersen. Liverpool’s Luis Díaz clawed one back for the Reds but 2 points from 2 games isn’t the start that they would have been hoping for.
Title rivals Manchester City on the other hand have won both of their opening two fixtures, picking up maximum points and sitting top of the table. A position that they’ll hope to finish the season in.
A solid 2-0 win away to West Ham in their opening match was followed up by a 4-0 thrashing of newly-promoted Bournemouth, proving the Citizens capabilities in front of goal. The addition of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who bagged both goals against the Hammers, has strengthened their squad and they’re once again looking like the team to beat with the fate of their title chances being purely in their own hands.
City started the season as 4/6 favourites for the title but after just two weeks since the new season began, their odds have been slashed to just 4/11. Of course, there is a lot of the season still to play but with City losing just 3 and drawing 6 of their 38 league games last season, Peps side are in pole position to retain their title following Liverpool dropping points in consecutive games against lesser opponents.
Pre-season, bookmakers priced Liverpool at a respectable 16/5 to reclaim the title that they had lost to City the season prior. However, after 2 draws from 2 games, odds of up to 6/1 are now available. Klopp’s side lost just 2 games last season in the league and drew 8. To drop points so early in the campaign is a huge blow for the club and reflected in their current odds.
Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal finished in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th spots last season and all have had a relatively positive start to the new campaign. All three sides won their opening fixtures and Arsenal picked up maximum points for the second game in a row against Leicester, but Spurs and Chelsea settled on sharing the points when they went head-to-head a week later.
With much of the season still to play, the title is far from decided. However, it’s looking a lot more likely now that Manchester City will claim their fifth Premier League title in six seasons and their sixth overall.