Liverpool shocked just about everybody when they romped to the Premier League title last season. Heading into the 2024/25 campaign, the Reds were considered a distant third favourite and were being tipped to struggle in their first year without iconic manager Jurgen Klopp. Well, what a difference a year makes.
LIVERPOOL ARE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/IT4ETtRyVj
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
New boss Arne Slot managed to galvanize his new side, and they roared out of the blocks. Just one defeat in their opening 30 games, they opened up a whopping lead in the title race, one that perennial runners-up Arsenal never looked like chasing down. In the end, the Merseysiders comfortably claimed the title, but will they be able to successfully defend the trophy?
Blockbuster Signings Make Liverpool the Favourites
Well, there has been no resting on their laurels. The reigning champions have forked out over £200m to strengthen an already stacked squad, and that has prompted the bookies to sit up and take notice. Following those marquee additions, the latest Premier League odds now make Liverpool a 15/8 favourite to defend their crown, and it would certainly take a brave punter to bet against them.
The opening game of the season is still over a month away, but websites that allow one to place a football bet already have their opening day odds listed. The Reds have been made a 1/3 favourite to win the season opener against Bournemouth at Anfield, but the reigning champions have far loftier ambitions than just winning that one. They are aiming to successfully claim back-to-back titles for the first time in over 40 years, but anyone thinking that it will be as simple as last season should think again.
Finally Arsenal’s Year?
Last season was supposed to be Arsenal’s ultimate return to the summit of English football. After back-to-back runners-up finishes behind Manchester City, they were supposed to finally get over the line and claim their first title since the invincibles of 2004. In the end, they were ransacked by a rampant Liverpool, and now they look set to spend big in a bid to finally get over the line.
After three straight second-place finishes, the Gunners know that they finally have to win a trophy. And this time around, neither of the domestic cups will suffice. Mikel Arteta simply has to deliver either the Premier League or the Champions League; otherwise, the pressure could begin to ramp up on whether his process will ever bear fruit.
Prolific Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres is being heavily linked with a move to the Emirates, and a signing of such ilk will surely leave the Gunners well placed for an assault on the title. Last season, injuries to both striking options, namely Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, left the club without a recognised striker throughout the run-in. That ultimately saw them finish as a distant second behind the eventual champion Reds, but adding the mercurial Swede could well see them close the gap.
Manchester City in Disarray
Over the last nine years, the blueprint to win the title has been simple: perform better than Manchester City. However, that script looks set to be ripped up with the Blues in disarray. Pep Guardiola’s side was stunned in the Club World Cup as they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal, and those woes could translate onto the domestic stage as well.
With a number of high-profile departures seemingly on the agenda in the coming weeks, City could well struggle to mount any kind of challenge at all next term. That would leave the title race firmly in the hands of both Liverpool and Arsenal.