MY ACCOUNT
– Arsenal have only lost once this season
– Manchester City have won four of the last five titles
– Recommended bet: Back Arsenal to win the Premier League outright
Arsenal lead the way in the Premier League standings but Manchester City are hot on their tails as the campaign is set to get back underway.
City edged out Liverpool to win the title by a solitary point last season but they have a new rival on their hands this campaign.
Arsenal are the current leaders ahead of the return of Premier League football on Boxing Day, sitting five points clear of City, with both teams having played 14 matches.
Newcastle are third, seven points adrift of the Gunners, but they have turned out 15 times and Tottenham are a point further back in fourth.
Manchester United and Liverpool, who have both played 14 times, are in fifth and sixth respectively and look unlikely to mount a challenge.
After a six-week hiatus for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League campaign resumes on Boxing Day and we have assessed who could be in the running to win the title.
Gunners gearing up for big return
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta invested heavily over the summer and his new arrivals have played a big role in helping them to enjoy a strong start to 2022-23.
Their only loss in the league came against Manchester United in September and they have collected 12 wins from their 14 fixtures.
Arsenal’s last league title came in 2003-04 under Arsene Wenger and they have struggled to compete for the top prize over the intervening period.
Few would have predicted Arsenal would be flying high at this stage, even with their reinforcements, but Arteta has his squad all singing from the same hymn sheet and they are playing some scintillating football.
Further investment is required in January to boost their hopes of holding on to top spot, especially following the news that frontman Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for at least another two months after undergoing knee surgery.
Arsenal, priced at 5/2 to win the league with LiveScore Bet, host West Ham on Boxing Day before going up against seventh-placed Brighton and Newcastle in third.
They still have to play Manchester City on two occasions and those fixtures could prove key to deciding the destination of the title.
Experience key for City
City have been the benchmark in the Premier League over recent years, winning the title in four of the last five seasons.
They have developed a method of stringing together consistent performances during the second half of each of their title-winning campaigns.
Last term saw City reach the summit after beating Watford on Matchday 15 and they only tasted defeat once in the remaining 23 outings.
The Citizens have already lost twice this term, going down at Liverpool in October and losing 2-1 at home to Brentford in their final outing before the World Cup.
With that defeat in mind, Pep Guardiola will be demanding a big performance when they return to action at Leeds on December 28th.
Guardiola’s men look very short at 2/5 to successfully defend their crown with LiveScore Bet but experience could see them over the line.
Magpies muscle their way into the conversation
After a big-money takeover, Newcastle have emerged as candidates for a European berth and they cannot be completely written off in terms of the title race.
Eddie Howe has splashed the cash over the past 12 months and he is likely to dip back into the transfer market again in January.
Newcastle currently sit third and just seven points adrift of the Gunners, although they have played an extra game.
The north east side have not won the top-flight since 1926-27 and this term might be a stretch too far as odds of 28/1 with LiveScore Bet suggest.
They are priced at 13/2 to secure a top-two finish with LiveScore Bet and can be backed at 11/8 with LiveScore Bet to finish in the top four.
