Michael Owen thinks Liverpool will only have one club to deal with in next season's Premier League title race and Chelsea won't be in the mix despite their 3-1 win over the Reds.
Arne Slot's men were crowned champions last weekend after beating Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield, but his players may have been nursing somewhat of a hangover on Sunday (May 4). They suffered just their third league defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca's Blues impressing.
Liverpool have cruised to the title in Slot's first season in charge, and Owen expects them to be the ones to catch come the 2025-26 campaign. The club's iconic former striker reckons we may get a repeat of how the top-flight has panned out this year.
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Michael Owen
The ongoing Premier League season has yet to conclude, but Owen has already firmly backed Slot to guide Liverpool to a second title in as many years. The Merseysiders are set for their highest points finish since the 2021-22 campaign, when they finished on 92 points but missed out on the title to Manchester City by a point.
Pep Guardiola's Cityzens surrendered the title for the first time in five years, and Owen reckons they have a massive mountain to climb to get themselves back into contention. He told Premier League Productions that only Arsenal could be a problem for Slot:
"I can’t see anybody beating Liverpool next year. Manchester City are miles off it. Arsenal are possibly the only challengers for me."
Slot's impact at Anfield has been just as remarkable as City's nosedive this season, currently third with 64 points from 35 games. They are set to finish on their lowest points tally since Guardiola arrived in 2016.
Owen thinks it's vital that Slot's squad doesn't undergo too many changes this summer. The Dutchman will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right-back confirmed he's leaving once his contract expires this June and he's expected to join Real Madrid:
"It's such a good harmonious dressing room that if you go and bring more and more in, then you get discontent. The better players you have as back-up, the more problems you have. You can look at an extreme like Pep Guardiola this season and say, 'That’s why you should have more players."
Arne Slot
Owen feels Arsenal could be Liverpool's closest challengers, and they are set to strengthen this summer. GIVEMESPORT sources indicate that manager Mikel Arteta and the club's new sporting director Andrea Berta will have a £300m transfer war chest.
The Gunners failed to make the most of City's stumble despite pushing them close in the previous two title races. Injuries have been a massive nuisance, and their recruitment will look to rectify this in the summer.
Liverpool Won't Want Repeat of Previous Title Defence
Jurgen Klopp's Reds finished third
Liverpool 2020
Liverpool ended a 30-year wait for league glory in 2020 when Jurgen Klopp steered them to the Premier League title. They did so with an incredible record of 99 points and seemed set to build on this the following season.
That didn't happen, as the Reds finished third. Injury troubles, particularly a season-ending one suffered by Virgil van Dijk, proved problematic. Arsenal fans may point out similar problems that took hold at Anfield that campaign to what the North Londoners have endured this term.
Arne Slot's 2025 Champions vs Jurgen Klopp's 2020 Champions (Premier League)
Team:
Matches Played:
Matches Won:
Matches Drawn:
Matches Lost:
Goals For:
Goals Against:
Liverpool took 69 points from 38 games, as City's four-year stranglehold on the Premier League commenced. Slot will be tasked with ensuring history doesn't repeat itself, and he has the comfort of Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah extending their stays at the club.
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt- correct as of 05/05/2025
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