The last four seasons for Manchester City have seen them finish in the top two positions in the Premier League, claiming the title in the 2011/12 and 2012/14 seasons and after finishing second to Chelsea last year they will be looking to take a third title in five seasons this time around. They have already made the biggest signing of the summer as they have paid £49m to Liverpool for the 20 year old, but will this help them claim the eight point deficit they had to Chelsea last time around?
Last Season:
With just two defeats on home soil all season long, with both being surprise losses to Stoke and Arsenal, it was not their performances at The Etihad Stadium that cost Manchester City the Premier League title last season it was the fact that they slumped on the road between the start of March and middle of April as they were beaten in four successive away games. They did go on to win their final six fixtures, both home and away, but the damage was done as Chelsea eased their way to the title. The loss of form from key players at different stages of the season also contributed negatively to their chances and many believed that Manuel Pellegrini would face the axe in the close season, but the Chilean is still in charge at the club for the 2015/16 campaign. Can he get the best out of his players this time around, especially on the road, to move back to number one side in England?
2015/16 EPL Preview:
City certainly still have enough talent throughout their squad in every position to close the eight point deficit that Chelsea secured over them last season to take the 2015/16 Premier League title and the addition of Raheem Sterling will be a boost as the England youngster, when motivated and happy, is a game changing player as he showed at Liverpool. Coupled with the likes of Sergio Aguero, if City can keep him injury free, David Silva and Yaya Toure putting in consistent performances throughout the season, especially away from home, Sterling could very well be the tipping point for the club in the title race this season.
Ins and Outs:
Raheem Sterling – City have broken the record for the purchase of an English player with the £49m paid to Liverpool for the services of the 20 year old versatile attacking player who is capable of playing on the wing, in an attacking midfield role or even up front. He broke into the Liverpool team four seasons ago and has since played 129 times for the club, scoring 23 times and he has also netted one goal in 16 caps for England. He has a bright future ahead of him and is sure to score plenty in the blue of Manchester City both in this and the coming seasons.
The club has sold and released a number of players already to bring in £40m in transfer fees alone this summer and it is striker Álvaro Negredo that has brought in the majority of these funds as he has joined Valencia in a £22m deal. James Milner and Frank Lampard have left for free to Liverpool and New York City in the MLS respectively, while Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair have joined Aston Villa for free and £3m. Defender Matija Nastasić has joined Schalke in Germany for more than £8m while several other youth team players have moved on also.
Man City EPL Preview Bets:
According to online bookmaker Betfair.com Manchester City come into this 2015/16 season as the second favourites to take the Premier League title behind the current league title holders Chelsea. They can be backed at odds 3.75 to win back the EPL crown this season in the Betfair Sportsbook behind the Londoners at 2.50 and ahead of Arsenal at 5.00.
If you’re looking for something a little less risky, Betfair offer odds of 1.66 for City to finish in the top two places again this season for the fifth campaign in a row. However, Chelsea, Arsenal and even Manchester United with their large number of signings over the summer will all be pushing hard for the title this season so the low odds may not be as secure a bet as they suggest.
However, last season did show that Argentine striker Sergio Aguero is the class of the field when it comes to putting the ball in the net as, despite periods of injuries and lack of form, he still finished with 26 goals to his name to take the Golden Ball. We once again fancy the diminutive forward player to lead the way for all other Premier League goal scorers and our Manchester City pick for the season is for their talisman to score the most goals this season. He can be backed at odds of 4.00 with Betfair.com to do this.