Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith believes Man City will be Arsenal’s “closest challengers” for the Premier League title.
Speaking exclusively to Man City News (courtesy of Best Betting Sites UK), Smith said that he thinks the Manchester club will pose the biggest threat to the reigning champions even though Enzo Maresca has only recently replaced Pep Guardiola in the dugout:
“Obviously, new manager though, so that puts a little question mark in there: how Maresca can settle with his players. I still see them being the closest challengers, and there’s a whole host of others just below that, but I’d say City at the moment.”
Maresca will take on Arsenal for the first time as City head coach in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium this weekend.
What are the odds of Man City finishing top of the table?
Maresca’s team are currently second favourites behind Arsenal, with bookmakers pricing them between 11/4 and 3/1. The Gunners, meanwhile, are 6/4 at the majority of betting firms.
Liverpool (5/1 to 11/2), Manchester United (13/2 to 15/2) and Chelsea (8/1) all have considerably longer odds ahead of the opening day fixtures.
Who do City and Arsenal face in the first five fixtures?
Following the Community Shield, the Cityzens will take on Bournemouth at the Etihad in their first Premier League game. Maresca’s men then have a tricky away fixture against Crystal Palace before hosting newly-promoted Coventry City at the start of September.
The fourth match of the campaign is the Manchester derby, which will be held at Old Trafford, and that is followed by a home game versus Sunderland.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will face Coventry in their opening fixture. Mikel Arteta’s side will then play Aston Villa (a), Chelsea (h), Sunderland (a) and Brighton (a).