This is the first in a series of Premier League 2022-23 season preview stories set to be posted in the lead up to the opening match Friday, August 5.
To the shock of almost no one, Manchester City won its fourth Premier League title in five seasons in May.
Maybe what WAS a shock is the fact it came down to the last day, and the final 20 minutes, of the campaign, before the Cityzens finally clinched the title.
But after all that money spent, that was the lone piece of silverware for the former richest club in the league (welcome, Newcastle United): City was knocked out early in the Carabao Cup, lost in the semifinals to Liverpool in the F.A. Cup, and collapsed in their Holy Grail competition, the UEFA Champions League. Pep Guardiola's side lost a 3-1 lead on aggregate after the 90th minute, then watched future Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema snatch the tie away in extra time. Real Madrid then went on to defeat Liverpool in the final, to show everyone in the world who is the real European football powerhouse.
So what did Manchester City do? The Cityzens spent more money (truly shocking) and brought in more players to a squad that was already overflowing with talent. The main player that is now the focal point of the attack–which, somehow, City had not really had since Sergio Aguero started to decline–is Erling Håland, who followed in his father's footsteps by putting on the sky blue of City.
Håland and City have been installed as the favorites to win the Golden Boot and the Premier League. Aguero thinks Håland might have a little bit of a bedding in period with the champions, as they look to do something only Manchester United (twice) has ever done in the Premier League: win three titles in a row.
"Haaland is a very important signing," Aguero said in a wide-ranging interview with Stake.com this week. "I think his goalscoring ability is proven. His stats through the German league and in Europe confirms this. Logically, he will have a period of adaptation to a league as strong as the Premier League, but I think he will go through his own process and the results will be seen soon.
"I think that an elite player like him will know how to reconcile his style with that of Pep's teams. It may take a while, as it did in the beginning for me. But once he gets into gear everything will be simpler. I think he has the talent to fulfill what is asked of him, which are goals."
With that period of uncertainty surrounding his new team, and also his injury record, it is interesting that Håland is still the first choice to win the Premier League Golden Boot for 22-23. Could you find better value down the board, maybe even with his teammate Julian Alvarez?
Possibly.
But this team is going to run away with the league in the spring, and Håland was brought in for ONE REASON: to win City the UEFA Champions League.
CURRENT ODDS TO WIN PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester City: -155
Liverpool: +295
Tottenham: +1400
Chelsea: +1500
Manchester United: +3300
Arsenal: +5000
Newcastle United: +10000
The pick: Manchester City -155
CURRENT ODDS TO WIN PREMIER LEAGUE GOLDEN BOOT
Erling Braut Håland: +300
Mo Salah: +500
Harry Kane: +600
Cristiano Ronaldo: +1200
Heung-Min Son: +1200
Darwin Nunez: +1600
Gabriel Jesus: +1800
The pick: Harry Kane, Tottenham
Head to Fubo.TV, Paramount+, Peacock, and ESPN+ for TV schedules, and check out all the upcoming previews in the lead up to the new season right here on Bettors Insider.