Barcelona legend Rivaldo explains why Manchester City are favorites to win the Premier League this season

Barcelona legend Rivaldo has explained why he views Manchester City as the favorites to win the Premier League this season. The Cityzens have managed to cement their hold on English football in recent years, with manager Pep Guardiola unrelenting.

He started his ruthless run of winning nearly every Premier League title in the 2017-18 season. Despite a close shave from Liverpool, City retained the title the next season, before the Merseyside giants won in the 2019-20 season. However, that would be the last time any other club would touch the league trophy.

Pep Guardiola and his lads have been on a winning streak, lifting the trophy an unprecedented four consecutive times. During one of their runs - 2022-23, they also managed to win the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, completing the continental treble.

It has been six wins in seven years for Manchester City, and Rivaldo believes they can make it seven wins in eight years. He said, during an interview with Betfair:

"Today, for me, it arrives as a favorite along with the greats of England. In Premier League it's important to start well in the championship and the City always start very well the competitions they dispute, because it takes them all with the same seriousness."

"Last year, he just didn't win a Championships (FA and UCL), but it's a strong team and very organized," he added.

However, the Barcelona legend admitted that Manchester City will have some concerns, due to other clubs wanting to break their hold in England:

"But other teams like Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are also too strong and they want to break this City sequel in recent years. Even as a favorite, City will find a lot of difficulty."

Notably, Arsenal have tried twice in a row to do so, with City working hard to secure the win on both occasions.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola discusses 2-0 win over Chelsea

Manchester City have already started the new season in full swing, as they beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on August 18. The Cityzens are widely expected to defend their trophy, and they would have been pleased with the start.

Pep Guardiola spoke about the game afterward, revealing his excitement and pleasure. He told BBC Match of the Day:

"I really didn't expect it, I know what these guys can do, but the first day and lack of training. Last season we could not win at Stamford Bridge so this is good news. The bad news is we still have 65, 70 games left. But it is good to start with a win for the confidence."

The manager will hope they can build on this win with a run that could set them at the top of the Premier League table for the foreseeable future. Next, they face newly-promoted Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium on August 24.