EPL 2017/18: Five reasons why Manchester City will win the EPL this year

#4 Best full-backs in the league

Danilo has looked good for City in the pre-season

Pep Guardiola has been criticised by many quarters for spending an astronomical amount of money on full-backs. Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo were all bought for a collective sum of around €140 million – but it seems like a good investment.

In modern day football, the full-backs play a major role in the success of a team. Teams with good full-backs often turn out to be the successful teams, just look at the two finalists of last season’s Champions League.

Full-backs these days play the role of three players simultaneously – a defender, a winger and a playmaker. As the wingers of this era are more inside-forwards than the traditional out-and-out flanker, the onus of providing a team with the necessary width falls on the shoulders of the full-backs.

And Manchester City have some of the finest ones in the league – which makes them automatic favourites for success.