5 reasons why Manchester City cannot emulate the Arsenal Invincibles this season

#4 Increased competition compared to the 2003/04 season

The 2004 Arsenal side that went on to create history

The Premier League has not got the tag of being the world's most competitive league just for the sake of it. Compared to Europe's top leagues, where it usually is a two-horse or three-horse race for the title, many lower-ranked sides in England are well equipped to cause hefty surprises.

Leicester City did the unthinkable in 2015/16 by winning the league against all odds, while Chelsea turned around their miserable form in the first three months of last season, to end it with their hands on the trophy come May.

This season, City may be five points adrift of the chasing pack, but it may be too soon to hand them the title just yet. Jose Mourinho, like Guardiola, has achieved success everywhere he has gone and is accustomed to fighting his way through adversity. Also, the man from Portugal has a penchant for league titles in his second seasons at clubs, and this tradition could follow suit again, with him serving his second term at Manchester United this year.

It also may be a little premature to write off Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, who possess a talented crop of players and tactically sound managers to challenge the two Manchester clubs for the title. Liverpool and Arsenal may currently be rank outsiders in the title picture, but a good run of form for a couple of months, and the league table could have a different look to it.