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Manchester City kick off their Premier League title defense with a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 15th August. It will be the first time Pep Guardiola takes his team to the pitch without the presence of a recognized striker in his locker room.
While the issue could be addressed before the transfer window shuts on August 31st, there has yet to be any conclusive evidence on the same.
Manchester City's Premier League title defense could be tough
The Premier League is set to become even more competitive this time around with the addition of some world-class stars. The likes of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Romelu Lukaku will all add to the league's glory.
Even Tottenham, under their new manager Nuno Espírito Santo are making headway in bringing in top-quality players to strengthen their squad. Hence, the Premier League title defense won't be straightforward for Guardiola and his men.
So ahead of the big weekend, let's discuss five of the biggest hurdles that stand in Manchester City's way as they begin their Premier League title defense.
#5 Absence of a recognised striker
Following the departure of Sergio Aguero in the summer, Manchester City are without an out-and-out striker. While Gabriel Jesus is still at Guardiola's disposal, the Spaniard prefers to play him on the left side of the pitch rather than up front.
Manchester City recently broke the Premier League transfer record with the €118m signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. Despite that, their attack looked toothless in the 1-0 loss against Leicester City in the Community Shield last weekend.
Now Guardiola desperately needs to find a player who can fill the void at the top. While Harry Kane has been linked with yet another record-breaking move, things look quiet on that front. The player in fact recently claimed that there is no truth to reports about him intentionally missing training.
Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has also confirmed that the England striker could be involved against Manchester City on Sunday.
Failure to get their hands on a recognized striker could prove to be detrimental in the race to retain the Premier League title.
#4 An anticipated slow start to the season
Manchester City had as many as 14 players on international duty during the European championships, with another two Gabriel Jesus and Ederson plying their trade in the Copa America.
Those players were given additional time off and it was not until Monday that Guardiola had his entire squad at his disposal barring Aymeric Laporte, who is in quarantine.
Manchester City had as many as nine of their starters, including the injured Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, missing for the game against Leicester City.
The manager admitted that just like the previous season, his team will arrive "late". So the results could be a bit flat at the start as they were last time around.
Although Guardiola is confident that his team will bounce back like history suggests, they could find themselves well behind the pack with a slow start in the Premier League.
#3 Intense competition from rivals
Manchester City's Premier League title rivals Manchester United have strengthened their back as well as attack with the additions of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho respectively.
Meanwhile, the 2019-20 Premier League champions Liverpool are looking to make a fresh start after reinforcing their defense.
Virgil van Dijk, runner-up for the 2019 Ballon d'Or award managed 72 minutes in the friendly against Athletic Club. Even if Liverpool decide not to risk him in the first few matches, they have enough depth in defense to cope with his absence on a short-term basis.
And who can count Chelsea out after their heroics in the Champions League last season? The 2020-21 Premier League season will be Thomas Tuchel's first full season in charge. He would have had enough time to get his ideas across over the course of a full pre-season.
Chelsea are further poised to bolster their attack with the addition of former striker Romelu Lukaku, who arrives on the back of an excellent season in Serie A.
Tottenham have also made an excellent addition in the form of Cristian Romero and remain keen to bolster their attack.
As such, there will hardly be any chance for Manchester City to put a foot wrong in the title race.
#2 Manchester City's focus on the Champions League
Manchester City went closer than ever to winning the Champions League trophy last season, only to fall just short, losing the final by the thinnest of margins.
Pep Guardiola has been at Manchester City since 2016 and the only title that has eluded him is the Champions League trophy. Guardiola has won the Premier League thrice in his five years.
The focus this season for Manchester City will naturally be on winning that competition and it could come at the expense of Premier League silverware.
During the busy months in the Premier League, Guardiola's desire to succeed in the Champions League could be a cause for concern for Manchester City.
If the Spanish tactician prioritizes the continental title, it could result in City falling off the rails during what could be a fiercely-contested Premier League title race.
#1 Pep Guardiola's fatigue as a manager
During Guardiola's managerial career, the Manchester City stint has been the longest. He started with Barcelona's B team and was given the manager's role with the senior team a year later.
He left that role four years later, adding three La Liga and two Champions League honors to his name.
Guardiola took up the manager's role at Bayern Munich a year later and stayed with them for the next three years. During his tenure he won as many as 82 of the 102 games he was in charge.
Though the Spaniard left without winning a Champions League trophy, he won three Bundesliga titles in the three years he was in charge.
While domestic leagues have never been a problem for the talismanic manager, it is the Champions League trophy that has eluded him recently. And it seems that he is only there at Manchester City for that one reason.
A fourth Premier League title in six years will obviously be something that Pep Guardiola will cherish before he moves on to his next challenge. However, it won't be a piece of cake, at least this year, given the kind of competition other teams are willing to provide.
Could Guardiola feel bogged down by the fatigue of having had to wait so long to achieve the holy grail at Manchester City?
Answers are set to unfold this season, which will be his fifth at the Premier League club.
