Premier League title race: Are Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in position to challenge for Liverpool’s crown?

Arne Slot‘s Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League at a canter, wrapping up the title with four games to spare and finishing 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.

Looking to solidify their hold on the top spot in English football for the foreseeable future, the Reds have invested heavily in bolstering their squad by signing the likes of Florian Wirtz, who joined the club for a British record fee of £116m inclusive of add-ons.

However, despite their significant outlay so far, the Merseysiders are reportedly working on a deal to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, and the striker, who is valued by the Toon at approximately £150m, would take the champions’ spending beyond £400m this window.

The impressive ambition that Slot’s side have shown in the market has some rival fans concerned about their team’s own preparations for the upcoming campaign, as well how they might fare against the Reds, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all bracing for a tough fight for the crown in 2025-26.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the work that Liverpool’s title rivals have done to challenge the Anfield club next season, and considers how they might pose a threat.

Are Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in position to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title?

After winning the top flight four times on the bounce, Guardiola’s Man City showed that they are not impervious when they finished third in 2024-25, 13 points behind Liverpool.

The Citizens were not at their typical best throughout the season, but when Ballon d’Or winner Rodri picked up an anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injury against Arsenal in September, they failed to recover.

With the former Atletico Madrid man back in action ahead of the start of next term, fans will be hoping that his defensive cover at the base of the midfield can alleviate the side’s vulnerability to counterattacks and give the team some stability to play from going forward.

The Sky Blues have also attempted to rejuvenate their aging middle third by signing Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, and the Dutchman’s offence-minded box-to-box playstyle makes him a suitable replacement for stalwart Ilkay Gundogan.

Elsewhere, with Kevin De Bruyne leaving to join Serie A champions Napoli, versatile, creative star Rayan Cherki was brought in for a cut-price from Lyon, though it would be unfair to expect the 21-year-old talent to directly replace the Belgian talisman’s output.

In the Club World Cup, Guardiola set up his XI with a trio of Rodri, Reijnders and Bernardo Silva in the centre of the park, and the manager will be hoping that his new-look midfield can bring more balance and security this season.

Up top, Cherki looks set to start in the frontline with Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland, and considering that the latter two are more focused on goalscoring, the Frenchman’s creative prowess makes him a complimentary piece of the puzzle.

On paper, City’s changes seem to be improvements, but it remains to be seen how they will cope with the loss of their captain, and Rodri may take time to get back up to speed after such an extended absence.

Additionally, while James Trafford would represent an upgrade in terms of shot-stopping over Ederson and Stefan Ortega, the back four ahead of him features a midfielder operating at right-back and a rotating cast at the heart of defence.

With this in mind, it would be fair to say that Guardiola’s side have strengthened, but fans would be forgiven for harbouring doubts about their team’s chances in 2025-26.

Are Enzo Maresca‘s Chelsea ready to fight for the league title in 2025-26?

After a tumultuous couple of years, the Blues found their way back into the Champions League when they finished fourth in 2024-25, but they have some way to go before winning another league title.

Maresca’s men ended the season 15 points behind Liverpool, but they will be hoping that their £212m expenditure can help to bridge the gap to the champions.

Chelsea have focused the majority of their spending so far on their forward line, bringing in versatile attacker Joao Pedro for £60m, winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens for £56m and striker Liam Delap for £30m.

With Jadon Sancho returning to Manchester United after a lacklustre loan spell, and injury-prone Noni Madueke making the switch across London to join Arsenal, the Blues have boosted their offence by signing Gittens to make the left-wing spot his own.

Pedro and Delap are extremely different profiles, as the former Brighton & Hove Albion man is more known for his link-up play and work outside the box, while the ex-Ipswich star is regarded as a physical presence in the 18-yard area.

Signing both options for the centre-forward position means that the talented but inconsistent Nicholas Jackson – who should be departing the club before the end of the window – has been replaced by more reliable figures.

The next names on Todd Boehly’s list are reportedly Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, and the duo’s combination of youth, quality and experience makes them potentially significant additions.

In particular, Chelsea conceded the third fewest goals in the division in 2024-25, just one more than the Reds, and adding Hato to an already strong defence could give them an edge in the upcoming title race.

How have Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal prepared to beat Liverpool to the Premier League crown?

Arsenal missed out on silverware for the fifth consecutive season under Arteta last term, finishing second in the league, 10 points behind Liverpool.

With the Basque manager under pressure to deliver trophies in 2025-26, the Gunners have been active in the transfer market once again to address holes in the squad.

The highest profile example of this is the recently announced signing of Viktor Gyokeres, who will take the starting centre-forward spot occupied by midfielder Mikel Merino for large parts of the season.

By bringing a specialist number nine to the club, Arsenal have addressed what some commentators have seen as a problem position in recent seasons, and fans will be expecting to see more chances converted in the upcoming campaign.

That being said, the signing of Martin Zubimendi could quietly be an equally if not more important acquisition due to his impressive volume of passes from deep in the midfield.

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka was consistently ranked near the top of the league’s charts for passes into the final third, and the Gunners’ ball progression has been disjointed since his departure to Bayer Leverkusen.

If Zubimendi can help to restore balance to Arteta’s side’s buildup play, then the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and new arrival Madueke could benefit, boosting the club’s chances in the Premier League title race.

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