The five reasons why Arsenal will win the Premier League ahead of Manchester City this season

Manchester City will still be many people's favourite to win the Premier League title, but I think the stars are aligning for Arsenal. Why else would Manchester City’s camp be rocked by a massive injury to one of their top-performing forwards in pre-season, with no proper diagnosis yet on when he will return?

Oscar Bobb was supposed to be the new Phil Foden, poised for his breakthrough season where everything finally comes alive for him. Instead, he'll have to watch the first half of the season from the sidelines due to injury. There’s no denying that this is a massive blow for Pep Guardiola, and now they’re left scratching their heads, searching for answers.

Then there's the fact that Manchester City seem to be regressing. Last season's championship-winning side was not vintage, and there's a genuine claim that if they repeat the same level of performance, they won't be champions this season.

Two seasons ago, Arsenal lost the title, but you can't say the same for last season—they were missing the one thing all championship teams need: luck. The numbers show that last season’s Manchester City performance was one of the poorest under Pep Guardiola, indicating that they must find a way to improve or they’ll be in trouble.

There’s also the Pep Guardiola contract issue. The uncertainty surrounding Guardiola's future definitely sows seeds of doubt in the minds of players, which can detract from their usual focus. This is another factor that could play into Arsenal’s hands.

If, for example, Guardiola announced tomorrow that he was staying, everything would change as he would have committed to leading the club through challenging times, including the 115 charges hanging over their heads. Without such clarity, it sets up for a potentially disappointing campaign.

On the other hand, Arsenal are strengthening in the right areas. Last season, Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus struggled, but both have the ability to bounce back. The signing of Ricardo Calafiori is another masterstroke from Arteta, adding a unique trait the team lacked last season. It also showed that Arsenal were finding solutions to problems that had previously been major concerns.

Finally, consider the age of Manchester City's key players. Kevin De Bruyne is 33, Kyle Walker—arguably Pep’s greatest signing—is 34, Bernardo Silva, the only player Pep has gone out of his way to keep at the club against his will, is 30, and Ederson, the calm but effective goalkeeper, is reportedly eyeing a move to Saudi Arabia.

Motivation is another issue. They’ve won it all and set records, becoming the first team to win the Premier League title four times in a row. So, is there really a lot of fire left in the belly? Arsenal, with their hunger and recent form, could be the team to beat.

Twenty-one years after the Invincibles, it has to be Arsenal's time.